CNN
With an early and severe flu season straining resources, the Biden administration says it will release the prescription antiviral Tamiflu from the Strategic National Stockpile to states and territories that request it.
The US Department of Health and Human services said Wednesday this should help ease access to the medication – one of several types of medicines patients have sometimes struggled to find amid a surge of respiratory viruses, including flu, RSV, Covid-19 and others.
Aside from antivirals, certain antibiotics and common pain relievers/fever reducers, especially liquid formulations used for children, have also been in high demand. Some stores are implementing purchasing limits on some over-the-counter medications.
Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response regional teams will work with jurisdictions to evaluate any requests for Tamiflu. States that have run out of Tamiflu in their stockpiles can also request more from the national stockpile.
“The actions taken today to increase access to Tamiflu show our preparedness system at work,” Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Dawn O’Connell said in a news release. “The country is more prepared for this surge because the SNS holds strategic stores of Tamiflu. As a result, jurisdictions will be able to get the support they need to keep Americans healthy as flu cases rise this winter.”
