Tamiflu use by date!

[Guest guest]

From WWDTY newsletter, UKSwine flu alert clears old stock of Tamiflu

 

30 April 2009

 

 

It is almost three years since we faced

the hysteria of an avian flu epidemic, when governments bought billions

of dollars of Tamiflu – the same anti-viral now being promoted to

combat a supposed swine flu pandemic. The shelf life of Tamiflu also

happens to be three years.

The World Health Organization

has, at the time of writing, increased its threat level to five, which

means governments can activate their pandemic plans – and start handing

out Tamiflu drugs.

This is extremely convenient for

governments that would have very soon have to dispose of billions of

dollars of Tamiflu stock, which they bought to counter avian flu, or

H5N1. The US government ordered 20 million doses, costing $2bn, in

October, 2005, and around that time the UK government ordered 14.6

million doses. Tamiflu’s manufacturer, Roche, has confirmed that the

shelf life of its anti-viral is three years.

England’s

chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson has said that the UK is “well

prepared†to counter swine flu – but only because it was well prepared

to counter an avian flu pandemic that never happened.

The

other worry is when, or if, medicine comes up with a specific

anti-viral for swine flu. The last time they did – when we had the

last swine flu scare in 1976 - health officials rushed through a

vaccination programme that resulted in 1 out of 100,000 vaccinated

Americans developing Guillain-Barre paralysis. The US government paid

out $93 million in compensation.

Those of us who quaked

in fear from the expected SARS epidemic and shook from the anticipated

avian flu pandemic may feel they’ve been here before. Despite the dire

warnings, at the time of writing just 2,600 cases of swine flu have

been confirmed or suspected around the world , and there have been 160

deaths, and not all of these may turn out to be caused by swine flu.

More people die on UK roads every month.

Meanwhile, while

we’re blaming the Mexicans for starting the anticipated global pandemic

of swine flu, who are the Mexicans blaming?

Several of

their newspapers are pointing the finger at local plants of Smithfield

Foods, the world’s largest pork packer and hog producer. Mexican

journalists report on concerns from locals in Perote, Santa Cruz,

Mexico – where the outbreak was believed to have started – that the pig

breeding farm polluted the atmosphere and local water supplies.A

municipal health official seems to support the locals’ concerns, and

says the outbreak may have been started by flies that reproduced in the

pig waste.

[Guest guest]

Thank you for this article Mara. Gives food for thought. Now........ isn't this convenient?

Hugs,

oleander soup , Maracuja <howdurdago wrote:>> From WWDTY newsletter, UKSwine flu alert clears old stock of Tamiflu> > > 30 April 2009> > > > > > > > It is almost three years since we faced> the hysteria of an avian flu epidemic, when governments bought billions> of dollars of Tamiflu â€" the same anti-viral now being promoted to> combat a supposed swine flu pandemic. The shelf life of Tamiflu also> happens to be three years.> > The World Health Organization> has, at the time of writing, increased its threat level to five, which> means governments can activate their pandemic plans â€" and start handing> out Tamiflu drugs.> > This is extremely convenient for> governments that would have very soon have to dispose of billions of> dollars of Tamiflu stock, which they bought to counter avian flu, or> H5N1. The US government ordered 20 million doses, costing $2bn, in> October, 2005, and around that time the UK government ordered 14.6> million doses. Tamiflu’s manufacturer, Roche, has confirmed that the> shelf life of its anti-viral is three years.> > England’s> chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson has said that the UK is “well> prepared†to counter swine flu â€" but only because it was well prepared> to counter an avian flu pandemic that never happened.> > The> other worry is when, or if, medicine comes up with a specific> anti-viral for swine flu. The last time they did â€" when we had the> last swine flu scare in 1976 - health officials rushed through a> vaccination programme that resulted in 1 out of 100,000 vaccinated> Americans developing Guillain-Barre paralysis. The US government paid> out $93 million in compensation.> > Those of us who quaked> in fear from the expected SARS epidemic and shook from the anticipated> avian flu pandemic may feel they’ve been here before. Despite the dire> warnings, at the time of writing just 2,600 cases of swine flu have> been confirmed or suspected around the world , and there have been 160> deaths, and not all of these may turn out to be caused by swine flu. > More people die on UK roads every month.> > Meanwhile, while> we’re blaming the Mexicans for starting the anticipated global pandemic> of swine flu, who are the Mexicans blaming?> > Several of> their newspapers are pointing the finger at local plants of Smithfield> Foods, the world’s largest pork packer and hog producer. Mexican> journalists report on concerns from locals in Perote, Santa Cruz,> Mexico â€" where the outbreak was believed to have started â€" that the pig> breeding farm polluted the atmosphere and local water supplies.> A> municipal health official seems to support the locals’ concerns, and> says the outbreak may have been started by flies that reproduced in the> pig waste.>