Swine flu scams on the rise

Whenever a public health or safety issue looms large, a certain segment of our economy tries to profit from the fear and confusion. We’ve seen it happen during the bird flu and SARS scares, and swine flu is no different. Since May, the Food and Drug Administration has warned more than 75 Web sites selling more than 135 products to stop making fraudulent H1N1 influenza virus claims—and they’ve been keeping a list of fraudulent products.

Back in May, we reported on the lack of evidence for most flu supplements. There’s little reason to believe that supplements are effective for preventing or treating any flu. And some, such as colloidal silver, can actually be dangerous.

A new article from the Associated Press reports that "products making bogus claims to prevent or treat swine flu are flooding the Internet as scam artists prey on the public's fears while the vaccine is delayed." Among the scams: air "sterilizers," photon machines, immune boosting supplements, and non-prescription Tamiflu that turned out to be powdered talc and a generic chemical, or even worse, unapproved doses of the drug that could be impure, subpotent, superpotent or contaminated.

"It's harmful, disappointing, frustrating to see folks take advantage of the public like this," our own John Santa, M.D., director of the Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center, told the AP.

—Kevin McCarthy, associate editor

For more on swine flu scam treatments, read our blog "Avoid Supplements Claiming to Help with Swine (or any) Flu".

Comments

[Bill]

PLEASE use ONLY "H1N1" When reporting on the "flu". Thank you.