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Walgreens removes online purchasing limits for children’s fever medications

A person purchases medicine, Monday, Dec.19, 2022 at a Walgreens, in New York, United States. NYC In recent weeks, due to a lack of Children's Tylenol and other medications, caring for a sick child has been much more difficult for many American parents than normal. A "tripledemic" wave of COVID-19, influenza, and RSV infections is wreaking havoc on the nation, and CVS and Walgreens revealed on Monday that they are restricting purchases of children's painkillers and fever reducers. (Photo by Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

(CNN) — After weeks of high demand that stretched supply, Walgreens removed its online purchasing limits for children’s pain- and fever-reducing medications on Monday morning, spokesperson Zoe Krey told CNN.

Walgreens only had limits in place on medicines purchased online. It did not have limits on medication purchased in stores.

“So currently, we have no purchase limits either in-store or online,” Krey said.

The change comes after high demand for children’s pain and fever medications led some stores, including CVS and Rite Aid, to limit purchases. A brutal respiratory virus season fueled the sales of kids’ medications to treat pain and fever to 65% higher than what was typical the year before.

Last month, the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, which represents makers of over-the-counter medicines, said manufacturers were running 24/7 to supply more medications to stores, but there was no timeline for when supply could catch up to demand.

Since then, flu and RSV activity have peaked in the US, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Covid-19 cases are still on the rise.

Still, flu and other respiratory virus activity remains “high” or “very high” in about half of states, according to CDC data updated Friday, and the US continues to contend with multiple respiratory viruses that are circulating at high levels.