Parents have been warned to not panic buy on Panadol amid fears of a critical shortage of the popular pain relief ahead of a ‘nasty’ influenza season.
Experts have warned of a horror flu season this winter, the first ‘real’ season in two years due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
Reported flu cases in Victoria soared from 10,000 to 15,000 last week – more than the combined total of the past two winter seasons.
Almost 150 Victorians have already been hospitalised with the flu, including 65 children.
Parents are warned to not panic buy on Panadol as a horror flu season looms (stock image)
As flu cases continue to surge, Pharmacy Guild of Australia issued a desperate plea amid fears supplies could run out.
‘We do encourage the public to please not panic buy,’ Victorian branch president Anthony Tassone said.
‘And we’ve certainly seen an increase in demand for those products in pharmacies recently.
‘Everyone has experience, whether it’s at the workplace, school or junior sport, with widespread illness at the moment – whether it’s the flu, colds or Covid.’
Victoria is also battling a resurgence in Covid cases with 9,595 new infections and 20 deaths recorded on Tuesday.
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia of Victoria fear chemists will run out of Panadol (pictured)
Mr Tassone warned pharmacies may need to reinstate buying limits on Panadol.
‘They don’t require a prescription, but to ensure there’s sufficient stock to go around there may be purchase limits,’ he said.
‘We have seen periodic shortages and out of stocks throughout the pandemic and pharmacies have done everything they can to help their patients and communities.
‘They did return to stock, maybe not across the full product range, but there were products available returning to stock late last week.’
From Wednesday, Victorians aged six months and over can get a free flu shot at one of more than 3000 GPs and community pharmacies across the state.
Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania also announced similar free flu vaccination schemes, which is currently being considered by NSW.
A spike in flu and Covid cases has seen a demand for pain relief such as Panadol (stock image)
Calls for the return of hated face mask rules as Covid AND influenza continue to spread at an alarming rate just days before winter
A top doctor has called for the return of a dreaded health measure and for everyone to roll up their sleeves again amid a renewed surge in Covid-19 and influenza.
Authorities have warned of a looming triple threat – Covid, the flu season and health workers calling in sick because they’ve contracted one of the two with hospital systems already at breaking point days out from winter.
Victoria and NSW could follow Queensland in offering free flu shots to everyone with millions of Australians eligible for a fourth Covid vaccine from next week.
Sydney GP Kean Seng Lim echoed calls for the return of face masks as he issued a grim warning about the months ahead.
There are growing calls for the return of mask wearing amid fears of a horror winter ahead
‘I think we have a big problem coming,’ he told the Today show last week.
‘You have got the Covid and influenza viruses both coming on together.
‘We do see them happening more during these winter months as people cluster closer together.
‘We also have the problem where we are going to have fewer staff. It isn’t just because staff are off, because they themselves are sick, but also because their kids and grandkids are sick at schools and or schools are reducing because teachers are sick and so forth and so forth because everything interconnects.’
Australian Medical Association recently announced it would welcome a move to reinstate ‘moderate, but sensible’ masks mandates in public indoor settings.
Dr Lim also expressed concern about the high number of patients reluctant to get Covid boosters and a flu shot.
Australia’s peak vaccine advisory group has announced a further 1.5million Aussies are now eligible to get a fourth dose of a Covid-19 vaccine from May 30 as a winter precaution.
Dr Lim fears believe a lot of urgency has been lost.
Sydney GP Kean Seng Lim fears the health system will face a big problem in the months ahead
‘We forget we’re still in the middle of a huge epidemic and vaccines are one of our best first line protections,’ Dr Lim said.
‘Once the message is out there, then that starts the ball rolling and we’ve got to get the message out there.
‘Both Covid and influenza are serious illnesses that you can be vaccinated against.
‘They are passed the same way – coughing and sneezing.
‘We should have going back to wear masks as well.’
