To my friends at Hot Copper who have been unable to source...

To my friends at Hot Copper who have been unable to source Relenza or Tamiflu, I suggest you consider the following medical journal article:

http://www.jimronline.net/content/html/fullhtm.asp?ArticleID=445

I have given up on visiting Pharmacies with my Relenza X 5 and Tamiflu X 5 scripts (and ringing interstate). I yielded nil, zero, nothing for my efforts scattered over all of last week and early this week.

The on-line price of Relenza is now A$200 per course (A$50 in our chemists) so I have wait listed my scripts at local pharmacies. I am number one on the list for Relenza at one Pharmacy and no 6 for Tamiflu at another - choose your chemist carefully - the most affulent areas may have the longest wait lists from my enquiries.

Previously I have never visited a "health shop" or purchased a "herbal remedy" but I have just spent a bit over A$300 on-line (USA) on black elderberry extract in various forms which should arrive early November. As a daily preventative I will have enough for perhaps 3 months for all my family (if it gets here OK - is customs likely to interdict it?).

I have de-stocked one web site of 100 capsule 'Natures Way' bottles (there were only four left) and I needed to get lozenges from a further site as the main site I used was already sold out (meant another $30 shipping but).

For my main order I used this site : -

http://www.vitacost.com/Store/Products/ProductDescription.cfm?SKUNumber=033674153321

I can also see similar prices at: -

http://www.herbalremedies.com/6971.html

http://www.herbalremedies.com/12440.html

For the lozenges I used: -

http://www.stayleaner.com/index.html

Here is my main order: -

Product name: Quantity: Unit price: Extended price:

Nature's Herbs Elderberry Flower Berry -- 100 Caps (030054003139) 6 $5.85 $35.10

Nature's Way Elderberry -- 100 Caps (033674124406) 4 $5.39 $21.56

Nature's Way Sambucol Syrup Original -- 7.8 fl oz (033674153321) 3 $12.49 $37.47

Nature's Way Sambucol Syrup Sugar Free -- 7.8 fl oz (033674153314) 3 $12.49 $37.47

Subtotal: $131.60
Shipping: $35.11
NOTE: Duties and taxes are not included in the shipping cost.
Grand total: $166.71

I wait in hope of filling my Relenza presription but also hope we all never actually need to use our Relenza, Tamiflu or elderberry extract. Worst projections I have come accross are one in three will die worldwide. Mr Abott on SBS last night had an Australian estimate of one in four hundred which sounds a lot more manageable.