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Recommended Antiviral Agents for Seasonal Influenza for 2008-2009
Although yearly vaccination with the flu vaccine is the primary strategy for preventing complications of influenza virus infections, antiviral medications with activity against influenza viruses can be effective for the prevention and treatment of influenza. Two licensed influenza antiviral agents are recommended for use in the United States during the 2008-09 influenza season: oseltamivir and zanamivir. These are chemically related antiviral medications known as neuraminidase inhibitors that have activity against both influenza A and B viruses.
- Oseltamivir is approved for treatment of persons aged 1 year and older and is licensed for use as chemoprophylaxis in persons aged 1 year and older.
- Zanamivir is approved for treatment of persons aged 7 years and older and is licensed for use as chemoprophylaxis in persons aged 5 years and older.
The two medications differ in pharmacokinetics, adverse events, routes of administration, dosages, and costs.
Note: There is a second class of influenza antiviral medications known as the adamantanes (amantadine and rimantadine) that are licensed in the U.S. for the treatment and prevention of influenza. However, because a high proportion of circulating influenza viruses in the U.S. in recent years have been resistant to the adamantanes, CDC recommends that neither amantadine nor rimantadine be used for the treatment or chemoprophylaxis of influenza in the United States during the 2008–09 influenza season. Surveillance demonstrating that susceptibility to these antiviral medications has been reestablished among circulating influenza A viruses will be needed before amantadine or rimantadine can be used for the treatment or chemoprophylaxis of influenza A. For that reason, the information contained on these web pages focuses on oseltamivir and zanamivir. For information on amantadine and rimantadine, see "Prevention & Control of Influenza - Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) 2008".
- Page last updated August 29, 2008
- Content Source: Coordinating Center for Infectious Diseases (CCID)
- National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD)
