Antiviral Medication
INFLUENZA ANTIVIRAL MEDICATION
What is the difference between a vaccine and antiviral drugs?
- Vaccines are usually given as a preventive measure. Currently available viral vaccines are usually made from either killed virus or weakened versions of the live virus or pieces of the virus that stimulate an immune response to the virus. When immunized, the body is then poised to fight or prevent infection more effectively.
- Antivirals are drugs that may be given to help prevent viral infections or to treat people who have been infected by a virus. When given to treat people who have been infected, antivirals may help limit the impact of some symptoms and reduce the potential for serious complications.
How long will it take to produce an effective Pandemic vaccine?
Before a pandemic starts it is difficult, if not impossible, to predict what strain will cause it and even then, predictions may prove wrong, or the predicted virus may have changed enough for a pre-prepared vaccine to be ineffective. A novel vaccine for pandemic flu can only, therefore, be manufactured once the pandemic strain has been identified and it will take around six months for vaccine to be manufactured in sufficient quantities. It is unlikely therefore that a vaccine will have any significant effect on the first wave of a pandemic.
What are antiviral drugs?
Antiviral drugs are medicines for the treatment and also prevention of certain viral infections, and are likely to play an important role in preventing and treating pandemic flu.
How do they work?
Influenza viruses enter cells within the human respiratory tract and use these cells to produce thousands of new viruses infecting other cells and so causing severe clinical illness within one or two days. Antiviral drugs prevent these infected cells from releasing new viruses, and allow the bodies own defence mechanisms to defeat the infection. This is important because antivirals do not prevent infection merely the ability of the virus to multiply effectively. The body is therefore still able to mount an antibody response to the virus to prevent any further infection in the majority of cases.
Do they cure pandemic flu?
Treatment with antiviral drugs can be expected to shorten the duration of the disease, alleviate symptoms and reduce complications including serious illness and deaths. The most important factor is how soon after infection the antiviral is started. Commencing medication within six hours reduces the clinical impact significantly, whereas after 36 hours the effect is minimal.
Are antivirals safe?
The antiviral medication that IPHL recommend have seen more than 40 million doses prescribed world wide to date. It is generally well tolerated, but on occasion can cause nausea and vomiting. More serious side effects are very rare.
Are antivirals effective?
Antivirals can make a major contribution during a pandemic by reducing illness and complications by up to 90% and having a significant effect on reducing sickness absence and increasing the resilience of businesses.
How do we obtain antivirals for our employees?
Antivirals are Prescription Only Medicines. IPHL uses an approved ethical Occupational Health Scheme to deliver antivirals to your employees. This scheme ensures only current employees at the time of a pandemic receive the medication.
What methods are there for taking antivirals?
Essentially there are three different methods for taking antivirals:
- Continouus Prophylaxis [Prevention]- when the employee takes a preventive antiviral course for the duration of the pandemic
- Treatment Course- when the employee takes a treatment course as soon as influenza like symptoms develop
- Post Exposure Prophylxis- [PEP scheme] when the employee takes a preventive course of antiviral when in contact with a known or suspected case of influenza. This can be either a household contact [Household Prophylaxis] or in an occupational or other setting [Targeted prophylaxis]