Purell's Unproven Disease-Fighting Claims Get Sanitized After FDA Warning
Freeman writes:
The maker of Purell hand sanitizers is washing away some unproven marketing claims that its products reduce school absenteeism and prevent infections from germs such as Ebola, norovirus, flu, and certain drug-resistant infections.
The marketing disinfection comes after the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning letter to Purell's parent company, GOJO Industries.
[...]Among the questionable claims are that Purell sanitizer:
- "kills more than 99.99% of most common germs that may cause illness in a healthcare setting, including MRSA [methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus] & VRE [vancomycin-resistant enterococci]."
- "can reduce student absenteeism by up to 51%... Additionally, teachers who follow this program also experience a 10% reduction of absenteeism."
- "may be effective against viruses such as the Ebola virus, norovirus, and influenza."
[...]On an FAQ page, GOJO also says that "the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are recommending the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer as a preventive measure for flu prevention."
But it should be noted that the WHO and the CDC emphasize hand washing as a primary method to prevent the spread of influenza (aside from vaccination). The CDC only recommends using hand sanitizer "if soap and water are not available."
[...]went on to say that GOJO has "begun updating relevant website and other digital content as directed by the FDA and are taking steps to prevent a recurrence."
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