Intended for healthcare professionals

Tamiflu correspondence with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

CDC logoThe email exchange with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked for written answers to six detailed questions in response to an article posted on its website on 7 February 2012: Recommendations for Influenza Antiviral Medications Remain Unchanged

Why, for example, did the CDC not consider unpublished data. Had it asked Roche for any? Did it have any evidence that Tamiflu can stop the spread of influenza? The CDC maintained in its recommendations that reviews of RCTs may not fully inform the question of whether antiviral treatment reduces severe influenza complications. But is also maintained that "reviews of RCTs...have found consistent clinical benefit of early oseltamivir treatment in reducing the risk of lower respiratory tract complications." Neither Jefferson nor Doshi were impressed with the CDC’s response, which they challenged in five follow-up emails. The emails are posted on this page below in chronological order as a series of image files. You can also view them in pdf format.

This page and the pdf will be updated when new ones are supplied to us.