Prompt Antiviral Treatment Cuts Pediatric Flu Hospitalization Risk in Study

A retrospective case-control study from Taiwan found that children with influenza who received antiviral therapy within 48 hours of symptom onset had an 81% lower risk of hospitalization. The protective effect was similar across age groups and for both oseltamivir and zanamivir. Researchers emphasized that early antivirals should supplement, not replace, vaccination.