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Hundreds of journalists to get bird flu protection

A major newspaper publisher is offering free medication to its staff to help the company survive a potential bird flu pandemic.

Daily Mail and General Trust is offering all 17,000 of its employees free doses of the antiviral drug Tamiflu at an overall cost of £850,000.

Further doses of the drug will also be available to close friends and families of DMGT staff members for a payment of £50 per dose.

The scheme will apply to all journalists at the Daily Mail and its sister titles as well as the Northcliffe Media group of regional daily and weekly titles.

Details of the Pandemic Influenza Management Scheme were set out in a letter this week from group employment director Ken Thompson.

He said that scientists believed a flu pandemic was “inevitable” and would lead to “significant and sustained disruption to our businesses.”

It continues: “The development of a vaccine to treat a pandemic virus cannot begin until there is an outbreak of the emerging strain. A vaccine would therefore not be available to the general population for six months after the start of the pandemic.

“Antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu provide an alternative to vaccines but will not provide immunity to influenza. They limit its effects and increase the chances of survival.”

Mr Thompson said that the UK government has been stockpiling Tamiflu but they only have sufficient supply to cover 25pc of the population which includes all essential workers.

He said DMGT recognised the importance of its talented people and that it had taken the action in an attempt to protect all its employees from the threat of pandemic influenza.

Under the scheme, each employee will get one treatment course of Tamiflu to be dispensed by occupational health provider Healthcare Connections.

Staff will also have the option to purchase further doses via HCC for family and close friends. The scheme will be operated via a secure web database on which employees will have to register.

Mr Thompson’s letter concludes: “We all hope that avian influenza will not become the threat to public health that the experts have warned us about.

“That given, DMGT has decided to do everything we can to protect the occupational wellbeing of our employees and further ensure that we are able to continue to operate our businesses in the event of a pandemic influenza outbreak.”

Neither Mr Thompson nor anyone else from DMGT has been available for further comment on the scheme.

Comments

Lydia James (24/09/2008 11:19:46)
Quite apart from the questionable ethics of mass-medicating your employees, Tamiflu is a prescription only drug in the UK, so I’m not quite sure how this is being “prescribed”. Is Ken Thompson a doctor and is he aware of possible side-effects and the dangers posed to prospective patients who are possibly taking other medicines.
It’s available for sale – providing you have a prescription – at £1.25 per capsule from a recognised UK online chemist. So, how many capsules do you need for a course?
I would seriously advise anyone thinking of taking up this offer to consult their family doctor first.

Lydia James (24/09/2008 11:20:19)
Quite apart from the questionable ethics of mass-medicating your employees, Tamiflu is a prescription only drug in the UK, so I’m not quite sure how this is being “prescribed”. Is Ken Thompson a doctor and is he aware of possible side-effects and the dangers posed to prospective patients who are possibly taking other medicines.
It’s available for sale – providing you have a prescription – at £1.25 per capsule from a recognised UK online chemist. So, how many capsules do you need for a course?
I would seriously advise anyone thinking of taking up this offer to consult their family doctor first.

Kobie (24/09/2008 12:31:19)
People always clamor for accurate news so protecting journalists is good. However do not forget the water, the trash nor my pharmasist.
The U.S. government is having a “prepare the citizen” webcast tomorrow (25th, September) at http://www.pandemicflu.gov/news/panflu_webinar.html
Through blogs, conversations we can all help each other.
Regards,
Kobie
http://www.newfluwiki2.com/

Peter Scales (24/09/2008 13:10:41)
One of the big problems with flu viruses is their ability to mutate and develop resistances to drugs used to combat them.
As Dr Alan Hay, World Influenza Centre, director, reports,
‘Influenza between October 2007 to July 2008′: “A notable feature of H1N1 viruses circulating during this period was their acquisition of high level resistance to oseltamivir (Tamiflu) detected either by enzyme inhibition or the presence of the H275Y mutation in the NA (H274Y according to N2 numbering), or both.”
It could be that mass-medication against flu may not be as effective as some private health care organisations would have us believe.

T. M. Stanford (24/09/2008 15:18:35)
1. Handling news copy would be problematic in spreading the virus.
2. The Tele, and Internet IMO is the only safe solution for news.
3. Quote: “One of the big problems with flu viruses is their ability to mutate and develop resistances to drugs used to combat them.” Novavax, a yank company, has the best H5N1 vaccine technology I’ve researched.

Monkey Magic (24/09/2008 22:21:40)
We cannot ignore the possibility that DMGT is shoring up its creaking bank balance by being paid to conduct a medical experiment on a grand scale. If your news editor starts sprouting feathers or one of the subs starts looking a bit p(b)eaky, then the secret will be out. Call me paranoid, but I’d rather entrust the medical health of myself and my family to the scientisists and medical professionals who have spent a lifetime researching this area, not a bunch of media types with cash (and reputations) to burn. Frankly, completely bizarre.

Jimbob (24/09/2008 23:34:55)
Mr Thompson’s says: “… DMGT has decided to do everything we can to protect the occupational wellbeing of our employees and further ensure that we are able to continue to operate our businesses in the event of a pandemic influenza outbreak.”
Tamiflu doesn’t prevent you catching flu – not even Roche, its manufacturer, suggests that. So, anyone who caught it would still be unfit for work.
The best one could hope for from taking this medicine, is that it reduces the impact of flu on the patient… and that’s not guaranteed, as others have said flu viruses have a unpleasant habit of mutating and developing resistances to medication.
It seems to me that someone at the Daily Mail has fallen for some alarmist spin put out by a private health company looking to increase its profits.

Jimbob (24/09/2008 23:35:05)
Mr Thompson’s says: “… DMGT has decided to do everything we can to protect the occupational wellbeing of our employees and further ensure that we are able to continue to operate our businesses in the event of a pandemic influenza outbreak.”
Tamiflu doesn’t prevent you catching flu – not even Roche, its manufacturer, suggests that. So, anyone who caught it would still be unfit for work.
The best one could hope for from taking this medicine, is that it reduces the impact of flu on the patient… and that’s not guaranteed, as others have said flu viruses have a unpleasant habit of mutating and developing resistances to medication.
It seems to me that someone at the Daily Mail has fallen for some alarmist spin put out by a private health company looking to increase its profits.

rich (25/09/2008 01:30:22)
what would Len Horowitz say about this article ??? I certainly wouldn’t have that junk shot inside of me. they don’t even know what strain is coming !!!
youtube.com/goldieshome

Sniffy (25/09/2008 02:27:02)
If the bosses at DMGT were so concerned about their staff, maybe they’d address the issue of long hours, no lunch breaks and the ‘Sword of Damocles” of redundancies hanging over the heads of many of their staff, particularly at their provincial pap
ers.

DAVE (25/09/2008 08:41:37)
No one’s suggesting it’ll stop you getting flu. And it’s not compulsory by any means. And staff are protected by doctor/patient confidentiality so DMGT won’t get the medical rercords. Apparently.

DAVE (25/09/2008 08:43:05)
btw:
Recent scientific and press coverage have highlighted the threat of a possible influenza pandemic. The present threat of this would likely stem from an avian influenza virus (“Bird Flu”). A major global pandemic can occur when a virus (such as H5N1), mutates and becomes easily transmitted from human to human.
History has taught us that pandemics of this nature do occur, there were three in the 20th Century. Scientists believe that a flu pandemic is inevitable. It could result in large scale illness and fatality. It would also lead to significant and sustained disruption to our businesses.
The development of a vaccine to treat a pandemic virus cannot begin until there is an outbreak of the emerging strain. A vaccine would therefore not be available to the general population for six months after the start of the pandemic. Antiviral drugs (such as Tamiflu) provide an alternative to vaccines but will not provide immunity to influenza. They limit its effects and increase the chances of survival. The antiviral drug Tamiflu can be taken as a treatment for influenza, as well as a preventative treatment
In the United Kingdom the Government has been stockpiling Tamiflu but they only have sufficient supply to cover 25% of the population which includes all essential workers.
DMGT recognises the importance of its talented people. In an attempt to protect all its employees from the threat of pandemic influenza we have taken the following action on your behalf:
• put in place a Pandemic Influenza Management Scheme and as part of this have purchased one treatment course of Tamiflu for each DMGT employee, available to you free of charge. This will be dispensed on our behalf by Healthcare Connections (HCC), an occupational health provider. It is important to note that Tamiflu is a prescription only medication; and
• we are also giving you the option for your family and close friends to be protected. We have arranged with HCC that you may register and purchase medication for your family and friends.
The scheme is operated via a secure web database on which you will fill out your details. This data is stored securely and will not be used for any other purpose. It is protected by doctor/patient privilege. After successful registration all medication ordered will be prescribed and dispensed by HCC and sent directly to your home address. The Tamiflu will be accompanied by instruction on when you take it. You should then store the Tamiflu at home until you need to take it, i.e. if you develop flu symptoms during the Pandemic. The Tamiflu we have purchased has an expiry date of June 2011 and will be replenished if required at that time.
The site also gives information and advice on the medication (including dosage, effectiveness, ingredients, when it should be taken and side effects), pandemic influenza and the pandemic threat.

KerryD (29/10/2008 07:24:57)
I think it sounds like a responsible move from an organisation who have a responsibility to continue operating in such a situation. I wish my employer had considered taking this route…

Joanne Stevens (04/11/2008 20:59:24)
I think i’d have to agree with KerryD – if an employer such as DMGT is prepared to spend that vast amount of money to protect its staff then it appears to be doing more than our Government seems to be doing for us. Does this Healthcare company sell privately? I think i will have to check. I dont think my employer would be able to cover a purchase like that but it would nice to be offered the chance to do it for myself and family

Rob Permeable (17/03/2009 12:07:32)
Some might say it’s too late for the Daily Mail to be inoculating against bird brains…