The COVID-19 pandemic has already claimed millions of lives, but SARS-CoV-2 is not the only respiratory disease spreading rapidly in late 2022. There is also respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza, as well as the soup of other bugs floating around and waiting to be accidentally inhaled. Now, as hospitalizations have increased due to this viral trio, supplies of popular medications like children's Tylenol and children's Motrin have sharply plummeted.
The end result is a familiar one for parents: Supply shortages. Only six months after young parents suffered infant formula shortages, now children's pain medications are in short supply too. This time, the culprit is not war or lockdowns wreaking havoc on supply chains, but rather the simple fact that respiratory diseases are spiking and parents are understandably worried about their children and planning ahead.
