People Rush to Tamiflu As H1N1 Vaccines Still In Short Supply

Hand sanitizers have already become popular as a preventative, but once your child is infected, you need Tamiflu to treat the symptoms. That is where another shortage is hitting people.

The FDA has already cautioned about possible online scams, including Tamiflu and vaccines. Given that, people are having to try pharmacy after pharmacy as spot shortages occur in different parts of the country.

There are spot shortages of Tamiflu around the country because there is a second surge of H1N1 swine flu in the U.S. That is exacerbated by the fact that the company that makes Tamiflu, Roche, has decided to focus on making capsules, rather than the liquid form that children require.

Due to the shortage of the liquid version, the FDA has requested that pharmacists break open capsules and mix the powdered contents with syrup to make a liquid version. The Food and Drug Administration and federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have also posted a formula for pharmacists to follow, including guidelines for the correct dosing by each child's weight.

Thus, despite what parents might be encountering, the FDA feels there will be enough Tamiflu to cover the requirements of consumers. The spot shortages are making parents nervous, however, as children seem to be at high risk from H1N1.

It is interesting that many first called the reaction by the Obama adminstration an over-reaction. Now, as the second wave of swine flu hits, many are saying the adminstration did not react quickly enough. To be honest, much of the issue lies with manufacturers, both of the vaccine and antiviral drugs, not with politicians.