Nasty Flu Season Putting A Strain On Tamiflu Supplies
“Most of Southern California doesn’t have it,” one pharmacy tech said. “Pretty much everyone is out of stock.”
The Mercury News:
Tamiflu Shortage Reported In Some Bay Area Walgreens Stores
The recent spike in flu cases around the Bay Area and California is not only crowding hospital emergency rooms with flu patients, it’s also leading to more demand for flu shots and antiviral medications to treat the virus. That means some drug stores around the region, such as Walgreens, are reporting a limited supply of Tamiflu, said company spokesman Scott Goldberg. (Seipel, 1/8)
Orange County Register:
Tamiflu In Short Supply At Some Orange County Pharmacies As Local Flu Season Tally Climbs To Nearly 1,800 Confirmed Cases
In Orange County, as of Monday, Jan. 8, four people under 65 had died from flu-related illnesses, and an estimated 1,773 positive cases had been reported since Oct. 1, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency. That’s up threefold, compared to the 502 reported cases at this time last flu season. (Connelly, 1/8)
Modesto Bee:
Flu Season Spreads Misery In Stanislaus County. Death Toll Increases Statewide
One of the worst flu seasons in years is sending droves of patients to medical clinics and emergency rooms and filling hospital beds in the region. The seasonal flu struck the Northern San Joaquin Valley earlier than usual with a virulent strain, causing fever, headache, body aches, congestion and serious complications in some patients. (Carlson, 1/8)
KPBS:
County Supervisors To Review Flu Severity
San Diego County Supervisors will decide Tuesday whether to declare a state of emergency because of the severity of this year’s flu season. Last week saw a surge of reported cases in the final week of 2017 and now all eyes are on whether those numbers will continue to rise. (St John, 1/8)
The New York Times:
Already ‘Moderately Severe,’ Flu Season In U.S. Could Get Worse
This winter’s flu season is turning into a “moderately severe” one that might get worse because of an imperfect vaccine and steady cold weather, flu experts and public health officials said this week. The flu is now widespread across the country and the peak of transmission probably occurred during the Christmas-New Year’s holiday week, just as many people were crowded into planes, buses and cars or in large family gatherings, said Dr. Daniel B. Jernigan, director of the influenza division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (McNeil, 1/8)