NPR’s Health Blog just reported on a useful FDA swine-flu widget. The widget takes the FDA’s list of fraudulent H1N1 products — which “alert[s] consumers about Web sites that are illegally marketing unapproved, uncleared, or unauthorized products in relation to the 2009 H1N1 Flu Virus” — and packages it in a handy tool that’s easy to put on your station’s H1N1 page. (Instructions are here.)
Here’s how the list appears to work: If a website includes fraudulent H1N1 claims about a product it’s selling, it goes on the list. And it stays on the list. But once the “FDA has verified that the products or the objectionable claims related to the 2009 H1N1 Flu Virus have been removed from the Web site, this information will be added to the list.” In other words, many of the sites listed have edited themselves and no longer make fraudulent claims.
The FDA’s main swine-flu page — with lots of additional information — is here.
