B.C. mother Sarah Wiebe had to visit multiple grocery stores and pharmacies recently before she finally found a box of Children’s Tylenol.
Her 18-month-old son was running a fever and she wanted to give him some medication to help bring it down.
Wiebe had COVID earlier this year and became very worried her son would become sicker.
“He had a fever and we could not find Tylenol anywhere,” she said. “We went to at least six different grocery stores and pharmacies and they were all out.”
She said she finally found some in Tsawwassen when she was travelling for work.
In September, Health Canada confirmed a shortage of liquid ibuprofen and acetaminophen products for children in several provinces, including B.C.
In August, Health Canada confirmed the shortage was due to “significantly higher than normal demand,” and said it was working with other federal departments, provinces, territories, companies and stakeholders to identify mitigation options.
Now, there has also been a spike in respiratory illnesses along with the shortage, so demand remains very high.
Dr. Birinder Narang told Global News that doctors are seeing the increased activity of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). “It’s a virus that circulates in the winter months and it can impact the young and the elderly,” he said.
“Obviously COVID is still circulating and we are seeing evidence that influenza cases are high right now as well, across the country.”
Narang said for the average healthy child and adult, these can manifest as flu-like symptoms but it can be much more serious for people who have compromised immune systems already.
However, he said medical professionals are bracing for a difficult cold and flu season.
“In the southern hemisphere, in Australia for example, their flu season is typically in what we considered our summer months and they did see increased hospitalizations and transmissions – the highest that they’ve seen in a few years – so yes, we do let that inform us to a certain extent.”
Narang added that Australia did not have access to the COVID bivalent vaccines and B.C. now has access to the flu vaccine as well.
However, the shortage of over-the-counter medications and the increase of respiratory viruses has some parents seeking help in emergency rooms.
In a statement to Global News, BC Children’s Hospital Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jana Davidson said its emergency department is experiencing high volumes.
“Prior to April 2021, there were 135 visits per day. Now the ED averages 142-150 visits per day,” she said. “This is up 20% when compared to this time last year.”
Patients are attended to through a triage system and Davidson said the sickest children are seen first.
However, she also said they are seeing parents bringing their children to the emergency department that do not actually need to be seen there.
“In our ED, we have been seeing mainly viral illnesses, gastroenteritis, fevers, nausea and vomiting, and upper respiratory tract infections,” she said.
She listed a series of symptoms that parents should note “do not necessarily require a visit to emergency,” including:
- Fever – if your child is over three months old and otherwise doing well
- Cough – without laboured breathing (coughs are usually caused by cold viruses in children and can last up to three weeks)
- Vomiting – if there is no persistent abdominal pain, blood in the vomit, or green color to the vomit
- Most rashes
- Diarrhea, without blood
If a parent is not sure whether their child needs hospital care, more information can be found on the BC Children’s website.