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- HHS said today that states can now access the national stockpile of Tamiflu, a flu antiviral.
- There’s a shortage of the medicine, thanks to a rough start to this flu season.
- This comes as flu season continues to sweep across the US, with thousands of hospitalizations.
The US government is releasing doses of the flu treatment Tamiflu from the national stockpile amid a concerning rise in cases, the Department of Health and Human Services said on Wednesday.
States were given access to their own stockpiles last week, according to the statement. The US said millions of extra treatment courses have been made available to help fight a shortage of the medicine.
Tamiflu can shorten the course of your flu infection, if given within the first 48 hours. The drug can also be given prophylactically to prevent flu cases in people who are exposed to the illness.
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This flu season is intense—and it started early. The US estimates that there have been at least 150,000 hospitalizations and 9,300 deaths so far this season, The New York Times reported. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said on December 5 that flu hospitalizations are the highest they’ve been in a decade.
“We have made it clear to every Governor that the Biden-Harris Administration stands ready to assist with resources and supplies,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in Wednesday’s statement.
Tamiflu works by stopping the flu virus from replicating in your body. It helps alleviate symptoms, and it’s most effective when taken within 48 hours of symptoms appearing.
There’s a national shortage of generic forms of Tamiflu, Fierce Pharma reported on Wednesday. Other medications are in short supply as well, as the US grapples with surges in other viruses, including RSV and COVID-19. They include amoxicillin, albuterol, and Tylenol. There are alternatives available, but shortages of amoxicillin may not ease until 2023, and it’s not clear when the other shortages will abate either.
