Pharmacists tin proviso 2 much alternate penicillin medicines to assistance guarantee there's capable of the cause to dainty Strep A cases.
It comes arsenic cases of scarlet fever, which is caused by Strep A bacteria, are 3 times the mean complaint - causing impermanent shortages astatine immoderate chemists.
SSP (serious shortage protocols) present screen a full of 5 medicines, adding to the 3 issued earlier this week, with a tablet present connected the Department of Health list.
It means pharmacists tin proviso an alternate signifier of penicillin without the diligent having to spell backmost to a GP if the prescribed 1 is retired of stock.
SSPs are a modular process to negociate impermanent proviso issues, accidental wellness chiefs.
At slightest 19 children crossed the UK person present died from invasive Strep A (also known arsenic iGAS), a much superior signifier of the corruption which enters parts of the assemblage specified arsenic the lungs and bloodstream.
However, the immense bulk of cases tin beryllium easy treated and are comparatively mild, with commons symptoms including a sore throat, rash and fever.
Professor Susan Hopkins, main aesculapian advisor astatine the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said it had been notified of conscionable implicit 7,500 scarlet fever cases - but that the fig was "probably an underestimate".
"We person a batch of reports coming successful in the past fewer days truthful we expect it to beryllium adjacent higher," she told the BBC's Today programme connected Saturday.
"That's astir 3 times higher than the aforesaid clip successful a mean season," she said.
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"The past atrocious play we had successful 2017 and 18. And successful invasive Group A Strep cases, we are much than halfway done what we'd usually spot successful an mean season.
"We've seen 111 cases successful children aged 1 to 4 and 74 cases successful children aged 5 to nine."
Official UKHSA figures for England and Wales amusement that it was notified of 1,702 cases of scarlet fever successful the week ending 11 December, with 1,352 successful the week earlier that, 1,044 successful the week earlier that and 960 cases successful the week ending 20 November - a adjacent doubling of the cases successful a month.
The latest play fig for iGAS cases was 15, up from 10 the week before.
Prof Hopkins stressed that astir children person a mild unwellness and said she had an "open mind" arsenic to wherefore infections were truthful high.
Some different experts person suggested it could beryllium due to the fact that determination is less immunity due to the fact that of reduced mixing during COVID lockdowns.
Parents are being urged to get their children vaccinated with the flu nasal spray due to the fact that areas that are already rolling it retired person a little complaint of Strep A cases.
Professor Hopkins said radical with flu infections are much apt to get a secondary corruption connected top, with children who get flu often astatine higher hazard of contracting Strep A.
Children younger than schoolhouse property tin get the vaccine from their GP, portion children successful schoolhouse tin get it via the schoolhouse vaccination service.
The SSP penicillin database present includes:
- Phenoxymethylpenicillin 125mg/5ml oral solution
- Phenoxymethylpenicillin 125mg/5ml oral solution sweetener free
- Phenoxymethylpenicillin 250mg/5ml oral solution
- Phenoxymethylpenicillin 250mg/5ml oral solution sweetener free
- Phenoxymethylpenicillin 250mg tablets
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