GMTV star Andrew Castle confronts health secretary, Andy Burnham, over policy of giving drug to children
Andrew Castle, right, with co-presenter Penny Smith confronted the health secretary, Andy Burnham, over giving Tamilflu to children during the swine flu pandemic.
The health secretary, Andy Burnham, today defended giving the antiviral drug Tamiflu to children for swine flu as TV presenter Andrew Castle said his daughter “almost died” after taking it.
Burnham was confronted by Castle on GMTV after researchers said the antiviral drug’s benefits did not outweigh its side-effects during the flu pandemic.
Castle said his older daughter, Georgina, had a “respiratory collapse” and “suffered very heavily” after being “just handed” the drug without a proper diagnosis.
The presenter said: “I can tell you that my child – who was not diagnosed at all – she had asthma, she took Tamiflu and almost died.”
Read moreSwine flu: TV presenter’s daughter almost died after taking Tamiflu