MADISON, Wis. — Most parents keep Motrin and ibuprofen on hand in the medicine cabinet for when their child comes down with a cold or the flu. But now, parents are left searching for other options amid a national medicine shortage.
“It kind of makes me a little nervous,” said Sara Schils. “I hope that there’s a resolution to it. Obviously, Tylenol, ibuprofen, and Motrin is common to have in our household and I want it to stay that way.”
Schils, a Stoughton mother, is just one of the thousands searching for backup plans should a child come down with the flu.
U.S. health officials are urging people to get the flu shot, especially now that a national shortage of pediatric medicine is causing empty shelves across the country.
“Flu is rising in many parts of the country,” said White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha. “Probably the worst flu outbreak we’ve seen in a decade.”
The surge of respiratory illnesses, namely, COVID-19, RSV, and the flu, is causing the shortage.
If parents can’t find the proper medication, pharmacists suggest using humidifiers, saline drops, and lukewarm baths to help with symptoms like a runny nose, fever, or cough. Still, the best thing parents can do is get their family vaccinated to prevent the flu from entering their household.
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“The influenza vaccine that we have this year really matches the strains of the flu that are causing illness, so I would encourage people to receive your flu vaccine right away if you haven’t,” said Dr. Jeff Smith, an EVP at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Parents unable to find pain relievers and fever reducers are asked to contact their primary care doctor for the next-best options.
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