TOKYO, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- Health officials in Japan say that although 42 people died after taking Tamiflu, only two deaths were the direct result of taking the anti-influenza drug.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare announced Friday that reports of three more deaths had been received, bringing to 42 the number of people who had died in Japan after they took Tamiflu, the Mainichi Shimbun reported.
Fourteen of the victims were aged 16 years or younger, the ministry said.
However, only two of the deaths -- a man in his 50's and another in his 80's -- were said to have resulted from using Tamiflu, the officials said.
The other 40 deaths were believed to be not directly linked to using the drug.
The Health Ministry on Jan. 14 announced a plan to stockpile 25 million courses of Tamiflu to counter the threat of an avian flu outbreak.
