Flu cases on the rise in Colorado as stores see a shortage in flu medication
Right as cases of RSV started to decline throughout the country, a dramatic spike in flu cases is now plaguing both children and adults. And, the recent holiday season is not expected to help prevent the virus from spreading even further.
Flu cases in Colorado are rising so quickly that many local grocery stores and pharmacies are running either short or completely out of medications to combat the illness. Many store shelves across the state are bare of over-the-counter medications like NyQuil, while many pharmacies are also having a hard time getting prescription medications for the flu as well.
"My daughter was feeling under the weather," said Audrey DiUlio, a parent. "About two days into it we noticed she had fluctuating fever."
DiUlio is one of the many parents having to seek care for their children as they combat the flu. She started feeling ill shortly after her daughter showed symptoms.
"I noticed I had a little bit of a tickle in my throat," DiUlio said.
Shortly after her tickle evolved into a cough and fever. DiUlio said she eventually felt very lethargic. The expecting mother went to an urgent care where she, too, was diagnosed with Influenza A.
"I am five months pregnant, so when I called my midwives they told me there was a shortage (of medicine)," DiUlio said.
Local pediatricians like Dr. Amanda Harding have seen a significant increase in demand for not only their services, but also for the medications.
"We have a lot of parents reaching out to us asking for Tylenol or Motrin and not able to find those medications, let alone any of the other over the county medication," Harding said.
Harding, who owns Zzap Pediatrics in Windsor, said her office has seen an increase in calls from parents wanting to purchase medications they can't find in their local pharmacies or stores.
However, Harding said access to the medications is growingly more difficult for her office as well.
"We can't even get them. Only until the past few weeks have I been able to get ibuprofen. And, the price is four to five times what it was prior to all of this in October," Harding said.
DiUlio had to call around and found a pharmacy with Tamiflu.
"They definitely had to go back and check. It wasn't something they just knew they had plenty of in stock," DiUlio said.
Harding said many parents have had to find creative ways to get their children to take the medications that are available, most of the time those medications come in capsules that children may not be able to swallow.
Dr. Harding said she is recommending some of her patients be given the medications by opening the capsules and pouring them into more tasty products like apple sauce or even coffee creamer.
While it is suggested that people get their flu vaccinations, be it by shot or mist, in the fall, Harding said she has also seen an increase in demand for those.
"We have been giving out a lot of flu shots. We have had families calling around to come here and get the flu shot or flu mist because their office doesn't have any available," Harding said.
People with the flu are encouraged to stay home to help the medical system combat the illness.
