Authorities in talks to restock

Drug makers, importers and health officials are talking daily in efforts to manage the ongoing shortage of pain and fever medication for children in Canada as supply ramps up in the face of unprecedented demand.

Federal Health Minister Jean Yves Duclos said Friday that another 500,000 bottles of medication earmarked for the retail market are coming over the next three weeks, on top of one million bottles already imported to address the shortage being placed on store shelves now.

There is also another shipment of analgesics on the way from Australia destined for hospitals, and domestic manufacturing is increasing, with one maker of the drugs doubling its production in the month of November.

The current shortage has been attributed to a spike in viral illnesses that began in the spring, when demand for products like children’s Advil and Tylenol is generally low and manufacturers tend not to have robust supplies in stock.

But when the cold and flu season hit more viciously — and earlier than expected this fall — the problem skyrocketed, leaving shelves bare of children’s’ medication as desperate caregivers did everything from travel to the U.S. to sharing tips on how to get adults medications into children.

Three viruses circulating — RSV, influenza and COVID-19 — have health experts saying Canada is now experiencing a “tripledemic” that is also pushing hospitalization rates for children to record highs for this time of year.

Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, said Friday RSV infection rates are showing signs of levelling off, but the rate of influenza infections remains high.

“We could see ongoing high levels of influenza activity for many weeks to come affecting all age groups,” Tam said.

Health Canada is now providing online updates about which pain and fever drugs are coming into the country, along with information from the manufacturers to help caregivers figure out how the new bottles might be different than what they’re used to seeing on the shelves. Earlier this week, the House of Commons health committee also passed a motion requiring the government to provide it with information every 14 days on how many doses are being imported from abroad, and to share that information publicly.