Researchers Add New Drug Prophylactic Option Against Flu

Didn't get your flu shot this season? A study published in the February 1 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases supports the efficacy of an adjunct to influenza vaccination. Researchers examined the common influenza season scenario of a household in which a family member is infected with influenza virus. They found that when the family member with influenza was treated with the antiviral drug oseltamivir, post-exposure oseltamivir prophylaxis of all other family members significantly reduced the frequency of virus transmission and illness in the household. Because households are important sites of influenza virus transmission, these results have implications for the management of influenza outbreaks in the community.