Vietnam reports Tamiflu shortage amid flu season

The Drug Administration of Vietnam under the Ministry of Health (MoH) on December 19 requested Central Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company 2, a Tamiflu provider for many hospitals, to urgently import Tamiflu 75 milligram tablet for treating the increasing number of flu patients in the country, VnExpress reported.

The move is taken due to continuous feedback on the shortage of Tamiflu drugs from some provincial departments of health, including those from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

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The hospitals nationwide reported the shortage of Tamiflu as their contracts with the supplier have terminated and have not been renewed because the medicine is out of stock.

The Drug Administration of Vietnam requested provincial and municipal departments of health to find drugs supply and meet treatment needs.

According to the Ministry of Health, seasonal flu is an acute infectious disease with symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, sore throat and cough. The disease is highly contagious and can spread quickly through the respiratory routes.

The MoH has recorded 408,907 cases of influenza and ten deaths in November. The number of hospitalized flu cases is increasing, especially in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

The MoH forecasts that the number of influenza cases may increase nationwide in the coming time, especially in the winter and during Tet holiday.

To prevent the disease, the MoH recommends preventive measures such as ensuring personal hygiene, washing hands with soap and clean water, keeping body warm, getting seasonal flu vaccination against influenza, using masks for contact with flu patient.

People should not buy or use antiviral drugs (such as Tamiflu) on their own, but on doctors’ instructions. When having symptoms of cough, fever, headache, tiredness, it is advisable to immediately seek medical attention for timely examination and treatment.