Bay Area parents deal with children's meds shortage amid rising 'tripledemic' concerns
SAN FRANCISCO – As COVID-19, flu and RSV cases rise heading into winter, parents are having a hard time treating their kids at home as over-the-counter medications become harder to find on store shelves.
Parent Analisa Hightower says, "There's so many different types, but none of them were on the shelves…I just want give them some relief for the evening."
Hightower has a two kids, 5 and 8 years old. She says her family was just hit with one of the respiratory viruses going around.
"We happen to have just recovered from COVID and being really sick so I have stuff in the house, but I also understand that's important," she told KPIX 5. "Especially for parents, you want to take your kids pain away."
Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an Infectious Disease Specialist from UCSF, said what has been called the "tripledemic" is to blame for the shortage of children's over-the-counter medications.
"Because we have so many respiratory viruses out right now. There's an actual need of parents whose kids have fevers but there's a perceived need that parents need to stock up on meds," Chin-Hong told KPIX 5.
The doctor advises parents to be flexible with the brand and use alternatives to fever control such as cooling blankets. He also suggests talking to your pharmacist.
"Really take advantage of the amazing pharmacists we have in the Bay Area they can help parents think about, for example, taking an adult 200 mg tab of ibuprofen, cutting it or crushing it in half and mixing it in applesauce," he said.
With no signs of the tripledemic ending, the drug shortage is expected to last through the winter.
Hightower hopes her family isn't hit with a bug again. The one positive from her recent bout with COVID-19 is she has leftover medication to ease her kids' symptoms at home.
"I definitely don't want to go to the ER just because there's so much going on right now and I don't want to take them and take other resources away or anything," she said.
A spokesperson for the pharmacy chain Rite-Aid issued a statement to KPIX 5 about the shortage, saying, "We are working closely with suppliers to meet the demand and mitigate shortages where possible. If customers don't see their preferred cold/flu treatment products on the shelf, they should speak with the pharmacist for recommendations."