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| Pandemic flu drug order doubles | Pandemic flu drug order doubles |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Britain is doubling its stockpile of antiviral medicines in preparation for any future flu pandemic, health minister Alan Johnson has announced. | Britain is doubling its stockpile of antiviral medicines in preparation for any future flu pandemic, health minister Alan Johnson has announced. |
| This will be enough to treat about half the British population - the proportion scientists now believe could be hit by a pandemic. | This will be enough to treat about half the British population - the proportion scientists now believe could be hit by a pandemic. |
| Mr Johnson said the updated plan makes the country the most prepared in the world against pandemic flu. | Mr Johnson said the updated plan makes the country the most prepared in the world against pandemic flu. |
| Some scientists believe a global flu pandemic could be imminent. | Some scientists believe a global flu pandemic could be imminent. |
| Worse case scenario | |
| Mr Johnson described the move as "defence in depth" based on a worst case scenario that up to 2.5% of people who fell ill with the flu would die. | Mr Johnson described the move as "defence in depth" based on a worst case scenario that up to 2.5% of people who fell ill with the flu would die. |
| In addition to stockpiling more of the anti-viral drug Tamiflu, he said they were also buying 14.7 million courses of antibiotics to help deal with the complications of flu that could lead to death. | |
| The government also aims to buy 350 million surgical masks and 34 millionrespirators for frontline NHS and social care staff. | The government also aims to buy 350 million surgical masks and 34 millionrespirators for frontline NHS and social care staff. |
| The measures are for a "reasonable worst-case scenario", which would seebetween 25% and 50% of the UK population infected. | The measures are for a "reasonable worst-case scenario", which would seebetween 25% and 50% of the UK population infected. |
| Experts predict that up to 750,000 extra deaths could occur in the UK as aresult of a pandemic, with up to half the population developing illness. | Experts predict that up to 750,000 extra deaths could occur in the UK as aresult of a pandemic, with up to half the population developing illness. |
| Mr Johnson said in the event of an outbreak, care would be home based - patients will stay at home initially to minimise the risk of spreading the infection to others. | |
| Medicines would be collected by a "flu friend" nominated by the patient. Patients would see GPs or go into hospital if complications arose. | Medicines would be collected by a "flu friend" nominated by the patient. Patients would see GPs or go into hospital if complications arose. |
| Graeme Laver, one of the world's leading flu experts and involved in the development of Tamiflu, said: "Instead of stockpiling more Tamiflu, the UK government would be better off devising a more effective procedure to get Tamiflu to people who fall ill very, very quickly." | |
| Killer strain | |
| Lethal global flu epidemics tend to occur three or four times a century. | |
| Some scientists believe a new one may be imminent and could be triggered by bird flu. | |
| So far there have been only a few hundred cases of the latest strain of avian flu, H5N1, recorded in humans. | |
| But the fear is that this strain could mutate and spread quickly and easily between people, triggering a deadly pandemic. |