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Flu treatments exist - but many at risk have not been told about them!

  • Writer: @cv_cev
    @cv_cev
  • Dec 22, 2025
  • 3 min read

This winter, Clinically Vulnerable Families keeps hearing the same thing:

“I didn’t know I qualified for 'flu antivirals!”

Many people have since contacted us to say they only learned about 'flu antiviral treatments (such as Tamiflu) because of our shared posts and threads like this one:

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1986952416944685226.html Some were then able to access treatment in good time. Others found out after the window for antivirals (only 48hrs) had already closed.

Knowing how to access them early is essential for all in Clinically Vulnerable groups (which is a much bigger group this year due to the additional risk from recent variants). Accessing treatment early can mean the difference between a potentially difficult illness and a medical emergency.

Please share this post to make sure people who qualify know 'flu antivirals exist, before they need them.

Why “just telling people” matters

Flu antivirals are not new. They are already part of NHS winter guidance.

But this year, due to concerns about new variants, the national 'flu plan has been activated which has widened the eligibility. As a result, many Clinically Vulnerable people report that:

  • They have never been told antivirals are available.

  • They are not warned to seek help early.

  • Some were, incorrectly, advised to “wait and see” instead.

  • Others only discovered them after the effective window has passed.

This creates a hidden inequality.

Access to treatment currently does not depends solely on need, but on who knows how to navigate the system. Information becomes a gatekeeper.

What are 'flu antivirals?

Flu antivirals are prescription medicines used to treat influenza. They can:

  • reduce the severity of illness,

  • shorten recovery time,

  • and reduce the risk of serious complications.

They work best when started early, ideally within 48 hours of symptom onset, or known exposure to someone with 'flu as a preventative treatment.

They do not replace vaccination - but for higher-risk people, they are an important additional protection.



Table 19.4 Clinical risk groups and other risk groups who should be offered influenza vaccination. Clinical risk category Examples (this list is not exhaustive and decisions should be based on clinical judgement) Chronic respiratory disease Asthma that requires continuous or repeated use of inhaled or systemic steroids or with previous exacerbations requiring hospital admission. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) including chronic bronchitis and emphysema; bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, interstitial lung fibrosis, pneumoconiosis and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). In addition to those with chronic respiratory disease, children who have previously been admitted to hospital for lower respiratory tract disease. See precautions section on LAIV. Chronic heart disease and vascular disease Congenital heart disease, hypertension with cardiac complications, chronic heart failure, individuals requiring regular medication and/or follow-up for ischaemic heart disease. This includes individuals with atrial fibrillation, peripheral vascular disease or a history of venous thromboembolism. Chronic kidney disease Chronic kidney disease at stage 3, 4 or 5, chronic kidney failure, nephrotic syndrome, kidney transplantation. Chronic liver disease Cirrhosis, biliary atresia, chronic hepatitis. Chronic neurological disease (included in the DES directions for Wales) Stroke, transient ischaemic attack (TIA). Conditions in which respiratory function may be compromised due to neurological or neuromuscular disease (for example polio syndrome sufferers). Clinicians should offer immunisation, based on individual assessment, to clinically vulnerable individuals including those with cerebral palsy, severe or profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD), Down’s syndrome, multiple sclerosis, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease and related or similar conditions; or hereditary and degenerative disease of the nervous system or muscles; or severe neurological disability. Diabetes and adrenal insufficiency Type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes requiring insulin or oral hypoglycaemic drugs, diet-controlled diabetes. Addison’s disease, secondary or tertiary adrenal insufficiency requiring steroid replacement.

Clinical risk category Examples (this list is not exhaustive and decisions should be based on clinical judgement) Immunosuppression (see contraindications and precautions section on live attenuated influenza vaccine) Immunosuppression due to disease or treatment, including patients undergoing chemotherapy leading to immunosuppression, patients undergoing radical radiotherapy, solid organ transplant recipients, bone marrow or stem cell transplant recipients, people living with HIV (at all stages), multiple myeloma or genetic disorders affecting the immune system (for example IRAK-4, NEMO, complement disorder, SCID). Individuals who are receiving immunosuppressive or immunomodulating biological therapy including, but not limited to, anti-TNF- alemtuzumab, ofatumumab, rituximab, patients receiving protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors, and individuals treated with steroid sparing agents such as cyclophosphamide and mycophenolate mofetil. Individuals treated with or likely to be treated with systemic steroids for more than a month at a dose equivalent to prednisolone at 20mg or more per day (any age), or for children under 20kg, a dose of 1mg or more per kg per day. Anyone with a history of haematological malignancy, including leukaemia, lymphoma, and myeloma and those with systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis who may require long term immunosuppressive treatments. Some immunocompromised patients may have a suboptimal immunological response to the vaccine. Asplenia or dysfunction of the spleen This also includes conditions such as homozygous sickle cell disease, hereditary spherocytosis, thalassemia major and coeliac disease that may lead to splenic dysfunction. Morbid obesity (class III obesity)* Adults with a Body Mass Index ≥40 kg/m². Other risk groups Pregnant women Pregnant women at any stage of pregnancy (first, second or third trimesters). See precautions section on live attenuated influenza vaccine.


Who qualifies this year (2025)?



then you should already know that antivirals exist and that timing matters.

No one should be learning this for the first time while unwell.

What to do if you develop flu-like symptoms?

If you are Clinically Vulnerable and develop symptoms of flu:

  1. Act early!

  2. Contact NHS 111, your GP, or out-of-hours services.

  3. Tell them that you qualify for 'flu antivirals and ask to be considered for treatment.

  4. If calling for someone else (a child, partner, or dependent), state their health risks upfront.

NB/ You are not asking for special treatment you are asking for what has been recommended due to your risks.

THE NHS FLU PLAN HAS BEEN ACTIVATED... Image of stop watch, black background. FLU? 48HRS TO ACT... You will qualify for antivirals if you are in a risk group: Under 6 months Pregnant Over 65 years Clinically Vulnerable You don't need a positive test. Contact your GP or 111 if: EXPOSED TO SOMEONE WITH FLU YOU HAVE FLU-LIKE SYMPTOMS Clinically Vulnerable Families logo

Safety information and official guidance

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued current safety communications relating to flu antivirals, underlining the importance of appropriate and timely use. You may need to share the below link in order to access treatment, because not all doctors are aware of the recent update. MHRA alert: https://www.cas.mhra.gov.uk/ViewandAcknowledgment/ViewAlert.aspx?AlertID=103269

Public information on 'flu and antiviral treatment is also available via the NHS, and UKHSA.

We are mid-flu wave as we hit these holidays

We are sharing this information deliberately and repeatedly this season because, awareness is low, timing is important, and too many people are being left to manage without treatments they need.

Please share this information! Also:

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  • If you can, please donate to support our important work.

    THANK YOU!!!

 
 
 
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