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influenza

Content version
U-244.2
Updated
10/20/2025 - 13:16

Recommendations

≥ 18 years
Dosage Remarks
oseltamivir PO 75 mg twice daily for 5 days

SWABID (National) remarks

Start treatment <48 hours after the first day of illness. In immunocompromised patients, interstitial pneumonia or secondary bacterial pneumonia it may still be useful to start treatment >48 hours after onset (up to a maximum of 5 days after the first day of illness).

Comments

Indications for starting treatment of influenza with oseltamivir

a. Uncomplicated influenza in persons at increased risk of severe influenza:

  • pregnant women (up to 2 weeks postpartum)
  • older adults > 65 years
  • severely immunocompromised:
    • Severe primary immunodeficiency
    • Chemotherapy/radiotherapy within the past 6 months
    • Solid organ transplantation on immunosuppressive therapy
    • Stem cell transplantation on immunosuppressive therapy (or received such therapy within the past 12 months)
    • Patients with graft-versus-host disease (GvHD)
    • High-dose corticosteroids (>40 mg prednisolone per day for >1 week), up to 3 months after stopping therapy
    • HIV with CD4 count < 200
    • Other immunosuppressive therapy that renders the patient severely immunocompromised
  • Diabetes mellitus
  • Chronic neurological, liver, renal, pulmonary or cardiovascular disease
  • Morbid obesity

 

b. Complicated influenza:

  • hospitalisation and/or
  • lower respiratory tract infection (hypoxia, dyspnoea, infiltrate)
  • central nervous system involvement and/or
  • significant exacerbation of underlying condition