The Biden administration is making additional doses of a prescription medication used to treat and prevent the flu available to states through the Strategic National Stockpile as bad outbreaks of flu infections afflict the country.
States will be able to request doses of Tamiflu from the Heath and Human Services Department to meet increased demand for the medication, though the agency did not specify how many will be made available.
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A surge in respiratory viruses this year, including the flu and respiratory syncytial virus or RSV, particularly among children, has led to short supplies of several types of fever reducers and pain-relievers.
“The country is more prepared for this surge because the SNS holds strategic stores of Tamiflu. As a result, jurisdictions will be able to get the support they need to keep Americans healthy as flu cases rise this winter,” said Dawn O’Connell, assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the HHS.
The Centers for Disease Control estimates there have been over 15 million illnesses, 150,000 hospitalizations, and 9,300 deaths from the flu so far this season. Although flu infections remain high, the CDC noted that outbreaks appear to be declining in some areas.
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Last week, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response announced it would allow states to tap into state stockpiles of Tamiflu that were previously reserved for a flu pandemic, making millions of doses available.
CVS and Walgreens are also limiting purchases of children’s pain relief and fever-reducing medications due to high demand. CVS is only allowing customers to buy two products each of pediatric pain relief medications for in-person and online purchases, while Walgreens will restrict online orders to six products but place no limits on in-person purchases.
