Flu medicine shortage - Spectrum News 1

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — As we get deeper into the wintertime months, flu cases crossed the state are spreading rapidly. Kentucky is classified successful the highest class retired of the Center for Disease Control’s 5 categories for wellness attraction visits related to flu symptoms. 

Dr. Suman Sheker practices interior and pediatric medicine astatine the Med Center successful Bowling Green. She says her session is seeing a batch of flu cases travel done the clinic, wherever 7 to 10 children person been diagnosed with influenza each day. 

With the summation successful flu cases, much radical request over-the-counter flu medication, but that is harder to travel by. Sheker suggests utilizing supportive attraction if over-the-counter medicine is not available. 

“That means staying astatine home, Tylenol and Ibuprofen for a fever, and putting connected a humidifier astatine location truthful the kid oregon big is helped with the breathing,” Sheker said.  

Sheker notes that the aboriginal October flu outbreak whitethorn beryllium the origin of these shortages. 

“With the inheritance of COVID, we did not hole ourselves for the flu to deed this badly,” Sheker said.  

And due to the fact that galore radical skip the vaccine and usage the medicine cause Tamiflu arsenic a backup, supplies are present limited.  

“I’ve heard radical say, you cognize what, if I get flu, I’ll conscionable spell up and instrumentality Tamiflu and not the flu vaccine, truthful now, with the shortage of Tamiflu, this is simply a large issue,” Sheker said.  

The CDC recommends the flu vaccine for astir radical six months and older. Several pharmacies and wellness departments supply vaccines. 

But, it’s not excessively precocious to get your flu shot. It takes 2 weeks for the flu vaccine to beryllium wholly effectual successful the body, truthful there’s inactive clip to get your flu shot.