NHS bosses have ordered that extra supplies of antibiotics are delivered to pharmacies across the country in the fight against Strep A.
Parents have reported shortages in some places of antibiotics, including the liquid version of penicillin, which is often given to children.
Sir Stephen Powis, medical director of NHS England, said that wholesalers had been tasked with producing antibiotics to handle demand following the rise in cases.
He told BBC ’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: “We have plenty of antibiotics.
"We have asked people to prescribe them a little bit earlier and the Government is working with wholesalers.
“The supply chain works really well, I expect we will be seeing those supplies coming out to pharmacies as we speak.”
The number of youngsters who have died since the summer after contracting Strep A in the UK currently stands at 16.
Group A strep bacteria can cause many different infections, ranging from minor illnesses to deadly diseases.
Illnesses caused by Strep A include the skin infection impetigo, scarlet fever and strep throat.
While the vast majority of infections are relatively mild, sometimes the bacteria cause a life-threatening illness called invasive Group A Streptococcal disease.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said there is no current evidence that a new strain is circulating and the rise in cases is most likely due to high amounts of circulating bacteria and increased social mixing.
