Due to the "unprecedented demand" for children's medicines, important children's medicines across Canada, such as acetaminophen drops (mainly used for fever caused by the common cold or influenza in children), children's Tylenol, amoxicillin and others, face persistent shortages. It is understood that many Canadians will buy over-the-counter cold medicines including Tylenol, ibuprofen, etc. after being infected with the new crown or flu. According to the report, the shortage of these key drugs will make Canada's already difficult "respiratory infection season" even more difficult.
In the United States, influenza transmission is also increasing. U.S. Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services Dawn O'Connell warned that with RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), influenza and coronavirus infections on the rise, the United States will "undoubtedly" face a challenging winter. According to data tracking from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the 2022 flu season started early and went badly, especially in the southern United States. As of November 5, at least 2.8 million people had contracted associated influenza illness, including 23,000 hospitalizations and 1,300 deaths, according to CDC forecasts.
Difficult to buy cold medicine for children in Canada:
Large demand, low supply, panic buying
This summer, Canada experienced a shortage of over-the-counter children's cold medicine. Zhang Da, who is in Saskatchewan, told Red Star News that since the end of last year, there has been a shortage of children's cold medicine in pharmacies. "At that time, although it was sometimes out of stock, it was still available. Cold medicine for children is now hard to come by. He said he noticed the phenomenon when he often wandered to drugstores, supermarkets and other places. He said that drugs for adults are relatively easy to buy, but children's drugs are difficult to buy.
David, a manager of a Canadian pharmacy, also reportedly said there was nothing wrong with the supply of drugs used by adults, "but many drugs used by children, from suspensions to chewable tablets, are out of stock." ”
Wasim, a father of two in Ontario, said his child had had several fevers in recent months, but it was difficult to buy medicines such as antipyretics for children. "It's a huge blow to see your own child sick and nothing you can do about it." He said.
According to the report, some parents have to target hospitals with relatively sufficient supplies because they cannot buy drugs at pharmacies, and some even queue for hours in hospital emergency rooms.
One parent shared his "thrilling" experience of buying drugs on social platforms: "There are no children's drugs on the shelves. After asking the cashier staff, the other party mysteriously took out the key to open a safe and took out a bottle of children's Tylenol. It is said that the goods arrived only an hour ago, and immediately there were only five or six bottles left. ”
David also said that he receives calls from parents almost every hour, asking if it is in stock. "But because drugs are in high demand, they are snapped up as soon as they are in stock." He explained.
↑ There is a shortage of over-the-counter children's cold medicine in Canada
In addition to common drugs, amoxicillin, which is commonly used to treat bacterial infections, is also in short supply. According to Matthew, another pharmacy manager, amoxicillin is usually the first-line drug for respiratory diseases, but due to the surge in demand, the drug is in short supply.
Health Canada said authorities are aware of the limited supply of children's drug products in pharmacies and hospitals across the country and are importing drugs and supplies from the United States and Australia and distributing them to hospitals across the country. It explained in a statement that the shortage of these products is mainly due to the "unprecedented" demand for the drug this summer. In addition, the disruption of the drug supply chain and people's "panic rush" are also important reasons for the supply shortage.
According to Health Canada, 4 of the 12 pharmaceutical companies that sell amoxicillin in Canada report product shortages. Stephen, a professor of pediatrics and emergency medicine at the University of Calgary, said rising demand is indeed a factor in drug shortages, but supply chain issues are an important factor. He noted that children under the age of 10 often need liquid-based drugs, and that there are not many companies that produce them, "when the suppliers are reduced, it can lead to serious consequences." ”
Barry, editor-in-chief of the Canadian Association of Pharmacists, believes that while supply chain disruptions have contributed to the problem, the unexpected summer surge in respiratory diseases, including coronavirus, seems to be driving high consumer demand.
In response to the problem of "panic buying" by the public, the Canadian Pharmacists Association issued a statement as early as August 17, local time, asking people to "not buy more than they need, so that all caregivers can get what they need when they need it." ”
The "triple epidemic" in the United States hit
Children's hospitals were overwhelmed
According to reports, the "triple epidemic" consisting of influenza, RSV and the new crown has also overwhelmed children's hospitals in the United States. Among them, the number of infants and young children infected with RSV in New York City has surged, and many young children have been admitted to intensive care units after becoming infected, reaching the highest number of infected hospitalizations since the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia epidemic.
The CDC also warns on its website that RSV-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations have increased in many parts of the United States, and some areas are even close to seasonal peak levels.
↑The CDC warns that RSV-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations have increased in many parts of the United States, with some areas even approaching seasonal peak levels
It is understood that RSV is a common respiratory virus, the most common cause of lung infection in children under 1 year of age in the United States, and an important cause of death in children within 1 year of age.
According to overseas network reports, Wright, a pediatric infectious disease doctor at New York University, explained that RSV is spreading rapidly as the US government gradually relaxes epidemic prevention and the immunity of some people declines.
According to Louis, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Wilhelmina Children's Hospital at Utrecht University Medical Center in the Netherlands, 100,000 to 200,000 infants die every year from the virus (RSV).
Brian, the director of pediatrics at Children's General Hospital of Massachusetts, said his hospital received about 2,000 cases of RSV infection in October and more than 1,000 cases in the first week of November.
Brian told a news conference: "The situation has been escalating and it's pretty serious. According to him, most people are treated in the emergency department, and only a small percentage of patients are admitted." However, even 10% of people need to be hospitalized, which can put a lot of pressure on medical institutions. According to him, the pediatric intensive care unit at his hospital is full and there are seven patients waiting to be transferred.
Red Star News reporter Li Jinrui
Editor-in-Charge: Deng Xuguang Editor: Peng Jiang
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