Valtion varmuusvarastoon lisää lääkettä lintuinfluenssan varalta
In line with WHO recommendations that countries that can afford it acquire stocks of vaccine to deal with a possible pandemic of avian influenza, Finland is increasing supplies of medicines.
At the request of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health the National Emergency Supply Agency has ordered stocks of the drug Tamiflu. The order includes 502,000 courses of packs of capsules of 10 capsules each and 770,000 courses of a corresponding amount in powder form.
Existing stocks numbered 28,000 courses of the drug, bringing the overall stockpile to 1,3 million. The extra courses of Tamiflu will be brought to Finland in May and June. The supplier is the Swiss drugs firm F. Hoffman- La Roche Ltd.
Tamiflu reduces the spread of A and B flu viruses, and can be used to protect people exposed to them or to treat those infected. It can also be used to limit serious complications developing in people belonging to medical risk groups, and to slow the spread of a flu epidemic.
Ministerial Counsellor, Health/Medical Affairs Merja Saarinen, +358 9 160 74030