Vietnam is expected to import 50,000 Tamiflu tablets on December 26, according to the Drug Administration of Vietnam under the Ministry of Health (MoH).

Currently, the amount of Tamiflu 75mg tablets in stock at the distribution company is 1,720. The Drug Administration of Vietnam has already supplied 1,000 tablets for the National Hospital of Pediatrics.

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The next Tamiflu batch of about 140,000 75mg tablets will arrive in January 2020.

The Drug Administration of Vietnam on December 19 requested Central Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company 2, a Tamiflu provider for many hospitals, to urgently import Tamiflu 75 milligram tablets for treating the increasing number of flu patients in the country.

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.

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.

According to the MoH, 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 ministry 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 winter and during Tet holidays.

Influenza usually develops mildly within seven days, but for children and the elderly who have poor resistance, especially those with chronic diseases of the heart, lungs, blood deficiency, or immunodeficiency, the flu can get worse, become more susceptible to complications and can be fatal if not detected and treated on-time.

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.

The Drug Administration of Vietnam recommended that people should not buy or use antiviral drugs (such as Tamiflu) on their own, but on doctors’ prescriptions.

When having symptoms of cough, fever, headache, tiredness, it is advisable to immediately seek medical attention for timely examination and treatment. Self administration of over-the-counter medications is not safe and may cause drug resistance.