Still haven’t gotten your flu shot? Here’s another reason to hit up a drug store for the vaccine, STAT: The editors of a major medical journal have cast doubt on the effectiveness of Tamiflu, the only drug FDA-approved for preventing and treating the flu. Roche, the manufacturer of Tamiflu, claims that the drug can reduce your risk of flu after exposure by 92 percent, and speed recovery by 30 percent (about 1.3 days) when taken with 48 hours of first flu symptoms. Researchers and BMJ editors have asked for Roche to release conclusive data to support these claims, but Roche hasn’t complied. In response, a leading researcher has called for a boycott of Roche’s products and for European governments to sue.
While Tamiflu (clinical name “oseltamivir phosphate”) was approved for use by the FDA in 1999, is currently recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and joins aspirin on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines, evidence of its effectiveness comes from Roche-funded research that has only been published in part. In a series of open letters to the manufacturer, The British Medical Journal (BMJ) and a team of reviewers who were commissioned by Britain to evaluate flu drugs in a Nordic Cochrane Center review have requested complete access to Roche’s 123 clinical trial studies, each four to five chapters in length. So far, only the first chapters have been released, leaving an estimated 60 percent of the data undisclosed. “It’s not enough to assess the drug’s effectiveness,” says Peter Doshi, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow in comparative effectiveness research at Johns Hopkins University Medical School and part of the Cochrane review team.
In a BMJ paper published in January, Doshi’s team found that Tamiflu does reduce recovery time, but only by about 21 hours—that’s 10 hours less than Roche claims. The review additionally confirmed known side effects of nausea and vomiting and found evidence to support suspected neuropsychiatric harm as well as other dangerous side effects.
“We have concerns on a number of fronts: the likely overstating of effectiveness and the apparent under-reporting of potentially serious adverse effects,” writes Fiona Godlee, BMJ editor-in-chief in an open letter to Roche board member John Bell, a professor of medicine at Oxford University.
According to FDA spokesperson Sandy Walsh, the FDA routinely monitors adverse reactions and updates drug labeling information accordingly. Still, the prospect of un- or under-reported side effects is frightening, considering Tamiflu is the most widely used influenza drug in this country. Its alleged ineffectiveness is equally alarming, as governments all over the world have stocked up on it in response to widespread flu scares at the expense of billions of dollars of taxpayers’ money.
The bottom line: Tamiflu’s ability to prevent the flu is questionable, and it may have some fishy side effects.
With that in mind, here are 7 tips for how to avoid the flu and stay healthy this winter—so you won’t even need Tamiflu.
Wash your hands compulsively
“The number one thing you can do to protect yourself from a cold or flu is to wash your hands thoroughly and frequently,” says microbiologist Andrew Pekosz, Ph.D., of Johns Hopkins University. Build up a lather with running water and soap and scrub away for twenty seconds, focusing on your palms, between your fingers, and the backs of your hands.
Carry around hand sanitizer
When you can’t get to a sink with soap, hand sanitizer that’s at least 60 percent alcohol can be a good failsafe, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Get the latest flu vaccine
This year’s vaccine contains the two new strains of flu virus, which weren’t used in previous vaccines. The CDC recommends everyone over the age of 6 months receive an annual vaccination. If you’re not convinced, check out five common excuses not to get the vaccine—and why they’re all bogus.
Moisturize… the air
Very humid air might be toxic to flu viruses. It’s unclear why, but one reason might be because droplets that contain the virus shrink quickly in arid environments, which lets them float around for longer. In moist air, though, they get heavy quickly and fall to the ground, away from your nostrils and mouth, says Ted Myatt, Sc.D., an environmental scientist in Boston. Buy a humidifier that keeps the humidity level between 40 and 60 percent.
Ease up on the alcohol
Alcohol can impair your white blood cells’ ability to combat viruses for up to 24 hours after you overindulge, according to a study in BMC Immunology. The next time you hit up happy hour with colleagues, pay in cash (no open tab), so you’re more likely to drink just one.
Catch more ZZZs
If you regularly get less than 7 hours of sleep at night, you triple your risk of developing a cold compared to people who sleep for 8 or more hours, according to the Archives of Internal Medicine. So set a schedule and stick to it – be in bed at a reasonable hour as often as you can.
Eat colorful fruits and veggies
Immune-boosting antioxidants in brightly colored fruits and veggies battle the free radicals that dampen your natural defenses, says Josh Miller, D.O., an internist at the Cleveland Clinic. Think red beans, berries, and green tea.
Additional reporting from Women’s Health editors.
More from WH:
The Best OTC Medications
Alternative Cold and Flu Remedies
How to Germ-Proof Your Office
What’s the 15-Minute Fat Loss Secret? Find out here!