As flu season gets underway, a potential crisis is brewing for children in need of treatment.  Reuters reports that Tamiflu, a leading medicine for treating children with the flu virus, is in short supply.  Early in the flu season, there has been a strong demand for the product, leading to a temporary delay in the packaging of the product by Roche Holding AG, the manufacturer of Tamiflu.

Tamiflu Oral Suspension is the specific variety of the drug that is in shortage.  Tamiflu is used to reduce the severity of the flu when taken at the outset of symptoms. The oral suspension of the drug is primarily prescribed for children under the age of 13 and for people who have difficulty swallowing.  The delay in packaging of Tamiflu Oral Suspension has not adversely impacted the Tamiflu 75 milligram capsules, which are the regular drugs prescribed for adults with the virus.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this year there have been 10 pediatric deaths associated with influenza reported for the 2013-2014 flu season.  Last flu season was one of the worst and there were 171 pediatric deaths associated with influenza as compared with the 2011-2012 season, in which there were 35 deaths.  This season is still ongoing and may be shaping up to be another big season.

In its Situation Update, the CDC reports that flu activity continues to increase across the country, with half of the country now reporting widespread levels of flu activity.  There have been 1,583 hospitalizations due to influenza that have been confirmed with laboratory tests.  However, based on hospitalization data collected from 13 states, influenza is responsible for hospitalization for 8.5 percent of the total U.S. population.

Thousands of people die every year from flu, which typically peaks in the U.S. between the months of October and March.  For some time now, the CDC has been encouraging people to get flu shots before it is too late, reports KETK News.  According to the government website Flu.gov, the flu vaccine is currently still available in shot and nasal spray form.  The vaccine is associated with mild reactions such as soreness, headaches, and fever.  The site also includes a tool to find the closest place to get the flu shot, which is generally available at major retail and grocery pharmacies.