BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — As we get deeper into the winter months, flu cases across the country are spreading rapidly. Kentucky is classified in the highest category out of the Center for Disease Control’s five categories for health care visits related to flu symptoms. 

Dr. Suman Sheker practices internal and pediatric medicine at the Med Center in Bowling Green. She says her clinic is seeing a lot of flu cases come through the clinic, where seven to ten children have been diagnosed with influenza every day. 

With the increase in flu cases, more people need over-the-counter flu medication, but that is harder to come by. Sheker suggests using supportive care if over-the-counter medication is not available. 

“That means staying at home, Tylenol and Ibuprofen for a fever, and putting on a humidifier at home so the child or adult is helped with the breathing,” Sheker said.  

Sheker notes that the early October flu outbreak may be the cause of these shortages. 

“With the background of COVID, we did not prepare ourselves for the flu to hit this badly,” Sheker said.  

And because many people skip the vaccine and use the prescription drug Tamiflu as a backup, supplies are now limited.  

“I’ve heard people say, you know what, if I get flu, I’ll just go ahead and take Tamiflu and not the flu vaccine, so now, with the shortage of Tamiflu, this is a major issue,” Sheker said.  

The CDC recommends the flu vaccine for most people six months and older. Several pharmacies and health departments provide vaccines. 

But, it’s not too late to get your flu shot. It takes two weeks for the flu vaccine to be completely effective in the body, so there’s still time to get your flu shot.