Doctor and pharmacies provide explanation behind scarce children’s fever reducers

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - A tough flu, COVID-19, and RSV season is in full swing.

Many Charlottesville parents have voiced on social media their inability to find fever reducers for their children. Doctor Laurie Forlano, VA state deputy epidemiologist, says visits are up across Virginia for influenza-like illnesses.

“The trends are pretty significant for COVID-19, less dramatic, but we are seeing a slight uptick,” Dr. Forlano said.

Pediatrician Doctor Paige Perriello says COVID-19, influenza, and RSV can stack. Meaning, kids can catch all three at once.

“They can [also] come one at a time sequentially, and either one of those is pretty miserable for a child,” Dr. Perriello said.

Forlano says the risk is higher for certain demographics. “We typically think of those who are really young: Very young babies or infants, and older adults that might have more compromised systems or health conditions,” she said.

Some liquid medicines are flying off the shelves as parents try to soothe their little ones.

“If you are at a store and you see a fever reducer medication and you need that for your family, please buy it, but please buy the number that the amount that you need,” Perriello said. “When you have a sick child at home, you know, going to three or four stores to try to find a fever reducer gets pretty frustrating.”

Perriello says if you find any medicine it could help to share it to parent groups or social media so others know where to find it. She also suggests not sending it out of town to others who may be searching so the problem does not worsen.

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