Antiviral influenza drug guidance.

Antiviral influenza drug guidance

Here's what HHS recommends

The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services has extensive guidelines on how health care providers and public health agencies should handle an influenza pandemic.

These guidelines, called Guidance on Antiviral Drug Use during an Influenza Pandemic, include advice on handling post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), with antiviral drugs like oseltamivir (Tamiflu.sup.[R]). Here are some of the suggestions.

Antiviral drugs from public sector stockpiles:

*Treatment, PEP, and targeted prophylaxis should be provided upon an initial pandemic outbreak overseas and in the United States. This is for the purpose of containing the initial outbreak of a novel influenza virus strain and preventing or slowing down a pandemic, giving health authorities time for preparedness.

*PEP should be provided to exposed travelers entering the United States early in a pandemic. This contributes to a risk-based policy to reduce the entry of infected persons and delay U.S. outbreaks.