Questions about flu drug's safety need answering

CHINESE DOCTORS often give children the immunostimulant pidotimod to fight flu in winter. However, recently several medical experts have pointed out that the effectiveness and safety of pidotimod are still unclear. Southern Metropolis Daily comments:

The dry air and low temperatures of winter, mean colds and flu are raging all over the country, especially in kindergartens and schools due to the children's ages, poor resistance and close proximity in crowded classrooms.

Data show that pidotimod is now so widely prescribed by Chinese doctors that sales of the pharmaceutical drug reached 4 billion yuan ($616.8 million) last year alone. However, the medicine is still in a clinical testing period in many countries overseas.