Updated: Thu Nov. 05 2009 08:30:29

The Canadian Press

As the second wave of swine flu arrives, Canadians are being warned not to buy unauthorized products from the Internet or other sources that claim to fight the H1N1 virus.

The Competition Bureau and Health Canada issued a statement Wednesday saying that only three products are authorized for use against the virus: the vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline called Arepanrix, available at flu clinics and doctors' offices, and two antiviral drugs, Tamiflu and Relenza.

The warning says vaccines should only come from a qualified health care provider. It also warns that antiviral medications should be purchased only with a prescription from a doctor who has examined the patient.

'"The vaccines should be administered by a qualified health care practitioner, and are not available for sale to the public," reads the Health Canada warning.

The advisory warns Canadians to stay away from unapproved medications that promise to cure the flu. Not only are these products likely to be ineffective, they could pose serious risks to health.

"These products may contain ingredients not listed on the label or dangerous additives, and could cause serious side effects," the advisory warns.

The advisory urges people to beware of ads that promise too much, and steer clear of a product that claims to be a "scientific breakthrough." Instead, Canadians should talk to their doctors is they are seeking alternative flu treatments or prevention tools

Dr. Allison McGeer, the director of infection control at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, reminds that the best flu prevention products are the simple ones: plain old soap, and alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

Both are effective at killing pathogens on the hands if they're used correctly.

"Absolutely, they work. They're not perfect; obviously they don't prevent all influenza and respiratory disease. But we know that if people wash their hands regularly - and that translates to at least five times a day - there's about a one-third less chance that they'll get fewer respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses and MRSA and many other pathogens," she told Canada AM.

She says plain soap is enough to wash away pathogens off our hands; there's no need for antibacterial soaps. What's more important is washing thoroughly.

"You've got to wash for long enough that you remove everything from the surface of your hands, so that's about 15 or 20 seconds," she explained.

Hand sanitizers also work, but studies have suggested that they need to have a 60-95% alcohol concentration to be most effective.

A study published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases found that at least one brand of sanitizer found on store shelves contain significantly less than 60% minimum alcohol concentration that health officials deem necessary to kill most bacteria and viruses. Low-alcohol products on the market can actually help mobilize bacteria, rather than kill them.

McGeer adds that there are a couple of downsides of hand sanitizers. The first is that they present a danger to children, since their high alcohol content can be toxic to children is they drink from the bottle.

As well, McGeer has found that alcohol can be drying to the skin.

"So I need to be sure to use hand cream to be sure I'm not damaging the skin surface," she said.

Meanwhile, Health Canada says it will monitor the Internet and take action against websites selling unauthorized products for the treatment or prevention of the H1N1 flu virus, or any other health condition.

Those with questions or complaints about counterfeit drugs or drugs bought on the Internet can call Health Canada at 1-800-267-9675.

And queries about websites promoting a treatment or cure that seem too good to be true can be directed to the Competition Bureau at 1-800-348-5358.