The flu season is hitting particularly hard this year throughout the country and many people, some of whom neglected to get a flu shot, are turning toward alternative medicines for relief.  Scammers are well aware of this and are more than willing to help these people part with their money while selling them worthless products.  Phony medical products and cures have a long and storied history of scams.  Recently the FDA issued a warning letter to the makers of GermBullet, a nasal spray that the FDA says, its makers claim is “laboratory tested and shown to reduce illness-causing bacteria, cold and flu viruses.”  According to the FDA, these claims are false and misleading.  But this is not, by far, the only product that may be making false claims in order to lure you in.  There are a number of online pharmacies that are touting what they refer to as generic Tamiflu or Relenza.  Tamiflu and Relenza are both legitimate and tested medicines that do, in fact, lessen the severity of the flu, however, at the present time there are no generic forms of either Tamiflu or Relenza.  Any medicine that claims that it is a generic form of either of those medicines is lying in its advertising.

TIPS

Although it takes about two weeks to fully protect you, it is still not too late to get a flu shot.  If you do get the flu, consult your doctor or pharmacist for what legitimate prescription drugs or over the counter drugs might be helpful.  Beware of products advertised on the Internet or anywhere else for that matter.  Misleading and downright false advertising can be found in the most legitimate of media so to be sure you are doing the right thing, check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking a medication for the flu.