HHS expands Tamiflu access for flu season

With flu season in full swing, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced this week that additional supplies of Tamiflu would be tapped to meet increased demand.

Jurisdictions will manage any Tamiflu requests through the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) in collaboration with their Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) Regional Teams. Disbursements will be reviewed and flow to states, territories, and Tribes. As of last week, states were also granted more flexibility to use Tamiflu in their stockpiles that had been reserved for a pandemic flu. The latter option alone made millions more treatment courses available for the populace.

“We have made it clear to every Governor that the Biden-Harris Administration stands ready to assist with resources and supplies,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a letter to governors earlier this month. “Today, we are taking action so that every jurisdiction can meet the increased demand for Tamiflu this flu season. State stockpiles can be utilized, and if jurisdictions need access to the Strategic National Stockpile, they now have it to respond to the current seasonal flu outbreak.”

The SNS keeps strategic stores of Tamiflu in reserve for cases of disastrous spread, but as seen here, sometimes they can provide the most potential for good in the general chilly season of sickness. According to the HHS, manufacturers have also reported running manufacturing facilities of medicines 24 hours a day and urged the public to buy only what is needed in response to high demand.