From the Guidelines
The minimum age to take Tamiflu (Oseltamivir) is 2 weeks 1.
Dosage Information
- For patients aged 2 weeks to less than 1 year, the recommended dose is 3 milligrams per kilogram of body weight, administered twice daily for 5 days 1.
- For patients aged 1 year and older, the recommended dose is weight-based, with patients weighing:
Important Considerations
- Oseltamivir is approved by the FDA for children as young as 2 weeks of age 1.
- For preterm infants, the weight-based dosing recommendation is lower than for term infants, and the dose should be adjusted based on postmenstrual age 1.
- Oseltamivir can be used to treat influenza in both term and preterm infants from birth because benefits of therapy are likely to outweigh possible risks of treatment 1.
From the FDA Drug Label
The safety and efficacy of oseltamivir phosphate for the treatment of influenza in pediatric patients 2 weeks old to 17 years of age has been established The safety and efficacy of oseltamivir phosphate for treatment of influenza in pediatric patients less than 2 weeks of age have not been established. The safety and efficacy of oseltamivir phosphate for prophylaxis of influenza have not been established for pediatric patients less than 1 year of age.
The minimum age to take Tamiflu (Oseltamivir) is 2 weeks for treatment and 1 year for prophylaxis, as the safety and efficacy have been established for these age groups 2.
From the Research
Minimum Age for Tamiflu (Oseltamivir) Administration
- The minimum age to take Tamiflu (Oseltamivir) is not explicitly stated in all studies, but according to 3, Oseltamivir has been shown to be effective in the treatment and prevention of epidemic influenza infection in adults, adolescents, and children (> or = 1 year).
- A study published in 4 mentions that oseltamivir is officially authorized for newborns two weeks of age or older.
- Another study 5 mentions a liquid formulation of oseltamivir (2 mg/kg twice daily for 5 days) has been shown to be effective in the treatment of children with influenza, but does not specify the minimum age.
Dosage and Administration
- The dosage of oseltamivir for children is 2 mg/kg/dose administered twice daily for 5 days, as mentioned in 4.
- For adults, the dosage is 75 mg twice daily for 5 days, as mentioned in 5 and 6.
Safety and Efficacy
- Oseltamivir has been shown to be well tolerated in clinical trials, with nausea and vomiting being the most commonly reported events, as mentioned in 5 and 7.
- The drug has demonstrated efficacy in reducing the duration of symptomatic illness and hastening the return to normal levels of activity when initiated promptly in patients with naturally acquired influenza, as mentioned in 5.