This page provides an index of current advice about influenza topics, from both the HPA and other agencies. Several documents appear under more than one topic, please click on the links below to take you to the appropriate section:

Antivirals, treatment and prophylaxis
Antiviral resistance
Bacterial co-infection
Critical care
Health Protection
Infection control
Pregnancy
Vaccination
Pandemic planning
 

Antivirals, treatment and prophylaxis

• 20 December 2012: HPA guidance on use of antiviral agents for the treatment and prophylaxis of influenza (PDF, 188 KB)  Contact details for obtaining Aqueous Zanamivir updated
• August 2012:  MHRA Direct Healthcare Professional Communication: New concentration and dosing instructions of oseltamivir (TAMIFLU®) oral suspension [external link]
• February 2009 National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE): Guidance on use of amantadine, oseltamivir and zanamivir (Relenza) for the treatment of influenza  [external link]
• September 2008 National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE): Guidance on use of oseltamivir, amantadine and zanamivir for the prophylaxis of influenza [external link]
• 24 January 2011 Typical Q&As received on influenza vaccination and use of antivirals (PDF, 54 KB)

Antiviral resistance

• 26 March 2012 HPA Guidance for Neuraminidase Inhibitor Resistance testing of Influenza B and A(H3N2) viruses (PDF, 80 KB)
• 17 October 2011 HPA policy on influenza antiviral susceptibility surveillance and laboratory diagnosis of resistance: 2011-12, United Kingdom (PDF, 796 KB)  

Bacterial co-infection

• 11 January 2011 letter from the CMO: Influenza, Meningococcal Infection And Other Bacterial Co-Infection Including Pneumococcal And Invasive Group A Streptococcal Infection (iGAS) [external link]
   

Critical care

• 7 January 2011 Critical care management of children with H1N1 (2009) (PDF, 206 KB) 
• 7 January 2011 Critical care management of adults with influenza including H1N1 (2009) (PDF, 639 KB) 
   
• 20 December 2010 advice from RCOG: CLINICAL MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES FOR PREGNANCY UPDATE: Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) in pregnancy [external link]

• 14 December 2010 letter from the CMO:Treatment guidelines for patients with influenza 2010/2011. [external link] The purpose of this letter is to update colleagues across the health service on appropriate guidelines for the treatment and management of patients with influenza in secondary care and other settings

Health protection

• 12 January 2012 Infection Control for Respiratory Tract Infections (PDF, 158 KB)

Pregnancy

• 24 December 2010 advice from RCOG: CMACE Emergent Theme Briefing #2 Maternal Mortality due to A/H1N1 2009 Influenza Virus [external link to a Word docx file for download]
• See also critical care

Vaccination

• 20 September 2012: letter from Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies and BMA Chair of Council Dr Mark Porter to doctors [external link]
• 03 May 2012 letter from the CMO: The Flu Immunisation Programme 2012/13 [external link]  
• Influenza vaccination and immunisation
• 24 October 2012 Typical Q&As received on influenza vaccination and use of antivirals (PDF, 54 KB)  

 Pandemic plannning

• 20 April 2012: Health and Social Care Influenza Pandemic Preparedness and Response
  [External link]
• 10 November 2011: The UK Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Strategy 2011
  [External link]