Resurgence of children’s medicines in Germany

According to the report of the international group Tasnim news agency, newspaper ” The German Federal Association of Pediatricians and Adolescents (BVKJ) announced on Tuesday that once again there is an alarming shortage of children’s medicines in the country. Michael Hobman, the head of the organization, also expressed concern about the worsening supply situation due to the impending flu wave and recommended that children who have not been sick before be vaccinated against the flu.

According to the BVKJ, after antibiotics and children’s fever syrup were in short supply last fall/winter, this time penicillin and salbutamol are particularly affected by the shortages. Accordingly, this situation is important for both drugs: penicillin, because its substitution with broad-spectrum antibiotics can create resistance, and salbutamol, because there is no suitable alternative for this sensitive drug to widen the airways in asthma and severe bronchitis. .

The Federal Institute for Medicines and Medical Devices (BfArM), however, still assesses the supply of antibiotics, including penicillin, as “basically stable”. The Federal Ministry of Health had already announced a shortage in the supply of drugs containing salbutamol in December. This makes it possible to import drugs that are not produced for the German market.

“Jacob Musk”, the spokesperson of the BVKJ, said of course: the situation is still It is significantly better than last year. According to him, this is mainly due to the – relatively – still moderate infection and disease situation. He emphasized that although we see an increase in infectious diseases in the winter season, there is still a wave of There is no seriousness. Musk said at the same time: “But the big wave of disease should not come because the system is not ready for it. For example, there are fewer beds in children’s hospitals this season than last year.”

Indeed, it also seems that the situation in the hospitals is again very tense in the regions. BVKJ President Haubmann reports: “We are used to the fact that by now Regularly transfer children from Munich to Garmisch, because there are no more free beds in Munich. He still expects a massive wave of flu “probably at the end of February” and therefore recommends getting vaccinated for children and young people who haven’t been sick before. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), school children and young people are particularly affected by the current flu wave. It is recommended only for people over 60 years old and at risk groups. Musk, himself a pediatrician in Berlin, said: “We are sticking to Stiko’s advice, but we are debating whether the expansion makes sense.” According to him, severe cases of the disease in children are very rare, but they can be transmitted to vulnerable groups. So, Musk says, it basically makes more sense to actually vaccinate all at-risk adults.

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