The Best Flu Drug Americans Aren’t Taking

TL;DR

This flu season is particularly severe, driven by a variant imperfectly matched to the vaccine.
Antiviral drugs for influenza, like Tamiflu and Xofluza, are underused but can reduce illness severity and duration.
Xofluza, approved in 2018, is a single-dose antiviral that is more convenient, causes fewer gastrointestinal side effects, and is better at reducing contagiousness and preventing serious complications compared to Tamiflu.
Xofluza is also more effective against influenza B, although this is less relevant to the current season.
Lower awareness, higher cost, and accessibility issues contribute to the underutilization of Xofluza compared to the generic Tamiflu.
A new direct-to-customer program offers Xofluza at a reduced price, and the popularization of at-home rapid testing could facilitate earlier antiviral use.
Improved use of antivirals, especially for high-risk patients, could significantly reduce flu-related deaths and complications.

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