Cold, flu cases hit pediatricians as parents deal with medicine shortage
STOCKTON – As area hospitals see a rise in cold and flu cases among children, some parents are finding empty shelves for certain medications.
Ana Valverde's 10-month-old son is feeling better after catching a cold and flu.
"He seemed congested," she said. "Barely breathing from his nose from it being so runny."
The mother of two eventually found herself on the hunt for children's Tylenol only to find empty store shelves.
"I typically have it, but my three-year-old was sick two weeks before that," Valverde said.
"I never would've fathomed that it would be hard to get Tylenol or routine amoxicillin for an ear infection from a pharmacy," said Dr. Krystle Balduzzi of Balduzzi Pediatrics.
With this medicine shortage, parents are asking how it got to this point.
"Every kid has to have a playbook of illnesses," Dr. Balduzzi said. "They kind of have to fill the playbook. And if they haven't, they have to."
Dr. Balduzzi told CBS13 it does not matter what age a child enters education, it is normal for them to either have a cold or viral illness once a month, which can last between 10 to 14 days, for the entire year.
In the last year, school districts began relaxing health guidelines.
But what happens if your search for medication leaves you dry? If your child is school-age, Dr. Balduzzi suggests asking whether pill medication is appropriate.
"Also, infants' and children's Tylenol, or acetaminophen, are actually the same medications," she said.
But she says that is not the same with Motrin products.
In the end, Valverde says doctor's orders also included some remedies that are not found over the counter.
"A lot of love," she said. "A lot of cuddles."