News in brief - Sept. 22/29, 2003

One more reason to get a flu shot - Opiate-addiction treatments prove successful

One more reason to get a flu shot

Flu vaccines could be particularly valuable this year and not only to protect the vulnerable from the latest strain of influenza. The vaccines could also help prevent confusion with possible SARS outbreaks, which often begin with flu-like symptoms.

Although SARS has been contained for the summer, health officials worldwide are on the alert for possible outbreaks that could signal a return of the disease. Health authorities in some countries are giving higher priority to the vaccination of groups known to be at high risk of severe illness from flu. Some countries are also considering vaccinating health care workers who could transmit the disease to vulnerable groups.

Because influenza vaccines have been underused in the past, the World Health Organization welcomed new initiatives in this direction. An estimated 1 billion people worldwide are at risk of severe illness from the flu, but only about 250 million are vaccinated each year, according to the agency.

A study in the Sept. 1 Annals of Internal Medicine found that treating older adults who have the flu with one of two available classes of drugs is cost effective, but preventing the flu entirely with the vaccine is better.

Opiate-addiction treatments prove successful

A newly available office-based treatment for opiate addiction is proving effective, but not very many physicians are signing up for the waivers that would allow them to deliver this care, according to new studies in the Sept. 4 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

The Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 allowed physicians to administer schedule III, IV or V narcotic medications in their offices to help patients overcome addictions to narcotics. The law requires that physicians treat no more than 30 patients and take eight hours of special training. As of July 11, 2003, only 1,981 physicians had completed the program, according to one article.

A study published in the same issue found that treatment with buprenorphine and naloxone resulted in a more successful outcome among opiate-addicted people. The trial was ended early after treatment with the drugs alone and in combination were found to be more effective than a placebo in helping addicts.

"Buprenorphine represents a major step forward in the treatment of opiate addiction," said Nora D. Volkow, MD, National Institute on Drug Abuse director. "It allows physicians to treat patients for this disease in the same manner that other people are treated for such other chronic illnesses as diabetes or high blood pressure."