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Recent research about the use of Tamiflu, dubbed a drug of choice by the World Health Organization (WHO) for use against bird flu and in case of a human flu pandemic, has some Japanese researchers worried. After testing the drug on 50 Japanese kids, in 18 percent of the case, flu viruses had mutated to resist it.
The research raised questions about how the popular drug should be used in a major pandemic, which experts fear could break out if the bird flu virus now endemic in Asia jumps to infect humans. Tamiflu, or oseltamivir, belongs to a class of drugs known as neuraminidase inhibitors which work by blocking the action of viral enzymes.
The resistant strains of viruses were first detected four days after the start of treatment and on each successive day of the study. Nevertheless, WHO defends the use of Tamiflu as "very important in drug treatment of avian flu in humans or influenza in general."
If you want to avoid catching the flu, drugs and vaccines aren't worth your time as they are completely useless. There are some much healthier and less expensive steps you can take:
MSNBC August 27, 2004