How Does the FDA Respond to Swine Flu? Create a Hall of Shame

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Call it H1N1, call it Swine Flu - call it whatever you like but it looks like we are heading for a very bad flu season this year. While there is lots of talk in the media about treatment, vaccines and shortages - there is no shortage of marketing companies trying to prey on your fear!

Swine Flu - Sure We Have A Cure for That!

You know those Apple iPhone commercials that say “We have an app for that” - it feels like some of these marketing companies have the same approach for any disease or illness you may have. The only difference is they replace the word “app” with “cure”. I can just hear them saying - “Swine Flu, sure we have a cure for that”

The FDA and FTC Get Nasty With their Swine Flu Hall of Shame

We have knocked the FDA and FTC in the past for being very slow to shut down the numerous acai scams and the resveratrol scams . So, we now need to give credit, where credit is due. The FDA and FTC are moving quickly to make sure that companies do not take advantage of people’s fears when it comes to H1N1 or Swine Flu. The FDA has sent hundreds of warning letters and even created a searchable, public online database of all the products that have received warnings from the FDA.

Click Here for the FDA Database of Products that may be fraudulently claiming to help with Swine Flu

You see they have them all - gloves, masks, air purifiers, shampoo and of course supplements.
So, before you waste your money on some product that claims to help with swine flu - you might want to do a quick search on the FDA site.

Dr. Andrew Weil caught in the wide FDA Swine Flu Net

Many of the products on the list will not surprise you. Acai Burn, who is no stranger to deception, made the list. What is surprising is that Dr. Andrew Weil was cited for his immune supplement line.

Here is the FDA/FTC Warning letter to Dr. Weil

This has set off a debate on many online forums - is the FDA and FTC going to far in terms of limiting a person’s right to free speech. This is a very tricky subject - on one hand we applaud the FDA/FTC from protecting consumers from companies that are trying to capitalize on our fears. On the other hand, if well respected doctors can not give their opinion on the best immune boosting natural products - that is a heavy price to pay.

Leave us a comment and let us know what you think. Do you think the FDA/FTC went too far with the Dr. Weil warning letter?