On 11th January the Department of Health notified healthcare professionals that rising levels of influenza had activated the NICE guidance for the supply of oseltamivir for the treatment and prevention of influenza.
In a similar notice, the Department of Health have now confirmed that recent surveillance data indicate that the overall rate of influenza has now dropped below the required threshold. The NICE guidance has therefore been deactivated.
Action: Clinicians should avoid prescribing antiviral drugs for the prevention and treatment of influenza following isolated cases.