Flu season is in high gear, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent out a warning to all consumers to beware of any product that claims to treat, prevent or cure the flu.
These products can be found in both retail and online stores, and can be packaged as teas, supplements or devices. It is important to remember that these types of products have not been tested or approved by the FDA.
Gary Coody, R.Ph., the FDA’s national health care fraud coordinator, said that “as any health threat emerges, fraudulent products appear almost overnight. Right now, so called “alternatives” to the flu vaccines are big with scammers.” The FDA added, there is no reason to buy a flu vaccine alternative, when the vaccine is still readily available.
It is important for consumers to be aware that there are no over-the-counter drugs that can effectively prevent or treat the flu. There are however, over-the-counter drugs that can be used to treat the symptoms of the flu, such as fever and congestion.
There are two drugs that may be obtained by prescription to help lessen the duration of the flu, and possibly prevent it; they are Tamiflu (oseltamivir) and Relenza (zanamivir).
The FDA stresses that the best way to prevent the flu is it get vaccinated every flu season.
