General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsOn Facebook, anti-vaxxers urged a mom not to give her son Tamiflu. He later died.
One recent post came from the mother of a 4-year-old Colorado boy who died from the flu this week. In it, she consulted group members while noting that she had declined to fill a prescription written by a doctor.
The child had not been diagnosed yet, but he was running a fever and had a seizure, the mother wrote. She added that two of her four children had been diagnosed with the flu and that the doctor had prescribed the antiviral Tamiflu for everyone in the household. The doc prescribed tamiflu I did not pick it up, she wrote.
None of the 45 comments on the mothers Facebook post suggested medical attention. The child was eventually hospitalized and died four days later, according to a GoFundMe started on his behalf by his family.
The mother also wrote that the natural cures she was treating all four of her children with including peppermint oil, Vitamin C and lavender were not working and asked the group for more advice. The advice that came in the comments included breastmilk, thyme and elderberry, none of which are medically recommended treatments for the flu. Perfect, Ill try that, the mother responded.
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/facebook-anti-vaxxers-pushed-mom-not-give-her-son-tamiflu-n1131936
blueinredohio
(6,797 posts)FiveGoodMen
(20,018 posts)Last edited Fri Feb 7, 2020, 06:35 PM - Edit history (1)
Change them.
(Oops. Was supposed to say "Charge them"
dware
(12,429 posts)For giving bad advice?
The only person who should be charged is the mother, and that's iffy.
Champion Jack
(5,378 posts)Sort of like the girl who texted her BF to kill himself...
Mariana
(14,860 posts)Vivienne235729
(3,384 posts)Advice as professionals. The negligence is in the mother who went to an ACTUAL professional and got a real prescription that she opted to not fill. Smdh. These people w their essential oils and flat earths are killing me.
blugbox
(951 posts)I mean Jesus
Try every last home remedy quack offering from strangers on the internet...
But actively reject medicine offered to you from an actual doctor who spends their career saving lives...
Boggles the mind. I feel sorry for those kids.
dewsgirl
(14,961 posts)Rorey
(8,445 posts)On a side note, two of the kids of someone I know were diagnosed with the flu. She did pick up the Tamiflu for all three of her kids and said the price was $500!!!!! She didn't end up giving it to the one who thankfully didn't get the flu. The two that did are now well.
ornotna
(10,807 posts)$27.30 to $46.99
https://www.goodrx.com/tamiflu
DesertRat
(27,995 posts)Rorey
(8,445 posts)I would think that insurance would have covered a good portion of it. I'll definitely mention GoodRX for any future need. Thank you so much.
Different Drummer
(7,642 posts)group. I have only one thing to say about that.
MaineBlueBear
(18 posts)I can't imagine why someone would crowdsource the health of their children to FB.
Is this normal behavior for the anti-vax crowd? I'm guessing WebMD isn't cutting it for that bunch.
May that child rest in peace. I hope they were spared from a fate worse than death.
Luz
(772 posts)going to ignore their advice?
scheming daemons
(25,487 posts)Olafjoy
(937 posts)A five day course of generic Tamiflu-oseltamivir 75 mg twice a day is $30. It works if you take it within 48 hrs of coming down with symptoms. You can also take it once a day for 10 days for prevention if you have been exposed.
lunasun
(21,646 posts)DesertRat
(27,995 posts)Rorey
(8,445 posts)I wonder if those on that FB group are having any pangs of guilt at all.
DesertRat
(27,995 posts)and turn to physicians and science before these home remedies.
Ilsa
(61,698 posts)the child from becoming too dehydrated if he's throwing up everything else. Breastmilk tends to digest pretty quickly.
UpInArms
(51,284 posts)Is upheld ... again
Initech
(100,102 posts)Look, I don't care if you are a dumbass who doesn't listen to proven science. Don't force others to wallow in your stupidity.
DesertRat
(27,995 posts)for hosting "Stop Mandatory Vaccination, one of the largest known health misinformation groups on Facebook with more than 139,000 members.
Vivienne235729
(3,384 posts)At this very moment. I am feeling repulsed by FB's pandering to russian $$, propaganda, and outright lies. They truly ARE part of the problem.
DesertRat
(27,995 posts)and welcome to DU, Vivienne!
Cousin Dupree
(1,866 posts)medical advice. Talk about drinking the Koolaid. As far as Im concerned, they all are complicit in the death of that child.
yardwork
(61,709 posts)I wish they all could be charged.
3catwoman3
(24,046 posts)Last edited Fri Feb 7, 2020, 09:15 PM - Edit history (1)
...pediatric professional blood boil.
DesertRat
(27,995 posts)Link to tweet
Laffy Kat
(16,386 posts)They reported the boy's mother was also instructed by the anti-vaxxers to put potatoes in his socks...WTF?
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/02/4-year-old-dies-after-facebook-antivaxxers-advise-mother-to-put-potatoes-in-his-socks-instead-of-giving-him-tamiflu/
misanthrope
(7,428 posts)still believes putting Vicks Vaporub on your feet then donning socks will cure an oncoming cold because it "pulls the cold into your feet." It's something she learned from her "Old World-meets-Old South" family that also believes in miracles, signs from the dead and heavenly intervention.
When I explained to her why Vicks works and how, thereby illustrating the fallacy behind the "pulls it into your feet" belief, she just nodded. However, she still regurgitates the folk remedy with little prodding.
Laffy Kat
(16,386 posts)My mother always put a splash of vinegar in the water when she boiled eggs and I do it too, without fail, even though I still don't know why. I've also taught my sons the same way. LOL.
Judi Lynn
(160,623 posts)MontanaMama
(23,337 posts)Texted me from school on Monday with body aches...sore throat came on that night. He stayed home Tuesday as the body aches and the throat got worse. Tues night late he spiked a fever. Wednesday at 4:30 am I heard a horrible cough from his room and ran in...he was burning up. 103 fever. Gave him ibuprofen and sent him back to bed. 8am his fever was 103.5 with ibuprofen on board...I got him up and we went to the dr. They tested him for strep and flu. He was negative for strep and positive for influenza B. The Dr prescribed tamiflu since it appeared we caught the virus early as hed only had the fever for 12 hours hours or so. I drove the boy home and put him back in bed...drove to the pharmacy and paid a $70 copay for the tamiflu and drove back home and gave him dose #1 along with ibuprofen. He slept most of the day and woke up with a bit of an appetite for the first time in 3 days. He ate twice today and is feeling a little stronger because he was sassing me a little which made me smile.
Tamilfu is a really wonderful drug when it is taken early enough in the flu cycle. That said, I also use therapeutic grade essential oils for all kinds of things...from immune support to homemade cleaning solutions to lifting my spirits to just making my home smell great. I also made homemade elderberry syrup with propolis for immune support and I swear by it...the same with vinegar tea. Ive pulled myself from the brink of a cold many times with some of these folk remedies. Sometimes the bugs get you anyway. Influenza kills people. It doesnt discriminate. When my kid was too exhausted to move and his fever soared to 103.5 I knew that he didnt just have a cold. Give your child the meds for love of god. The child depends on you for their very life!! This story broke my heart.
DesertRat
(27,995 posts)not_the_one
(2,227 posts)but I was prescribed Tamiflu, and it didn't do shit. I called my doctor and insisted he give me a regular, run of the mill antibiotic that is frequently prescribed. He (reluctantly) did, and I immediately got better with the traditional antibiotic.
Check out the "roche tamiflu scandal" websites...
Captain Stern
(2,201 posts)Flu is caused by a virus, not bacteria.
DesertRat
(27,995 posts)Antibiotics do nothing for viruses.
hatrack
(59,592 posts)That is all.