Ministry of Health media statement re Roche's Tamiflu announcement

Ministry of Health media statement re Roche's Tamiflu announcement
Attribute to Dr Mark Jacobs, Director of Public Health

25 November 2005

The decision by Roche to suspend public sales of Tamiflu until May 2006 is a commercial decision they have made. It does not affect the national stockpile, which is enough for 21 percent of the population. How that will be used has not been decided, and cannot be finalised until the pandemic arrives.

The Ministry's advice around Tamiflu has always been that we don’t know for sure if it will be effective against pandemic influenza because it has not been used or tested in a pandemic situation and we don't know what strain of the flu that may cause the next pandemic.

There is more information available at www.moh.govt.nz/pandemicinfluenza and on the Tamiflu data sheet available on the Medsafe website at www.medsafe.govt.nz

For more information contact:
Antony Byers
Media Advisor,
ph: 04-496-2483
or 027-434-6878
email antony_byers@moh.govt.nz

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