Maria Caulfield tells House of Commons “the vast majority” of those who have died of Strep A this year were aged over 65
Grandparents are more at risk from Strep A than grandchildren, a health minister has suggested.
Maria Caulfield, speaking in the House of Commons on Monday, said that “the vast majority” of those who have died of Strep A this year were those aged over 65.
Her comments come after the Government issued a second wave of emergency rule changes to allow pharmacists to supply alternative medicines to treat Strep A infections. The move formed part of an effort to cope with antibiotic supply problems as cases surge.
Ms Caulfield made the comments regarding the death rates in answer to an urgent question raised by Daisy Cooper, the Lib Dem health spokeswoman.
Ms Cooper questioned the supply shortages and insisted that families need reassurance they can access antibiotics “over the entire Christmas period”.
In response, the health minister said that the Government is monitoring the Strep A medicine situation daily, rebuffed claims that there were supply shortages, and instead claimed there were “supply issues” between manufacturers and pharmacies.
She said: “There isn’t a shortage of antibiotics to deal with Strep A. There have been pressures on supplies. There have been five to six times the amount of prescriptions that are normally issued at this time of year.”
Wes Streeting, shadow health secretary, said on Monday: “Parents who have been going from pharmacy to pharmacy will be pulling their hair out listening to the Government deny there are shortages.
“The Government needs to get a grip and be honest with the public about the reality on the ground.”
It comes after a mother in Lincolnshire, whose baby was diagnosed with scarlet fever, said she was sent on a fruitless search of pharmacies at midnight for penicillin, after a hospital said they had no supply.
Ms Caulfield told the Commons: “This season we have seen 74 deaths across all age groups in England. Sixteen of those, unfortunately, have been children under 18. The vast majority have been in those over 65.
“In the 2017-2018 peak, we had 355 deaths of all ages and 27 of those were children under 18. So, that just gives the scale of the difference compared to the peak of 2017-2018.
“We have put significant measures in place to expedite that supply. Manufacturers are ramping up production lines. Deliveries have been happening every single day to pharmacies.
“But often it’s the case that when the supplies arrive at a pharmacy, they go very, very quickly. That is why we have issued the SSPs (Serious Shortage Protocols) already.”
She added: “We are monitoring this on a daily basis and can I just reassure people that while these are higher-than-usual incidences for this time of year, overall for this season we are not yet at the 2017-2018 levels when we had a significantly higher number of deaths.”
Spreads through coughs, sneezes or open cuts
Strep A is a bacteria that can be found in the throat or skin. For most people, it lives in their bodies without causing illness.
It mainly spreads through coughs, sneezes or any open cuts and symptoms can include: high temperature, swollen glands and an aching body, sore throat (including tonsillitis), headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle aches and scarlet fever (a rash that feels rough to the touch).
Ms Caulfield told MPs that there were “supply issues” between manufacturers and pharmacies, rather than a shortage of medicines.
“We have the stock of antibiotics in the country,” she added. “As I outlined in my opening remarks, it is the supply issues. We are seeing five to six times the amount of antibiotics being prescribed at the moment.
“That is because UKHSA have issued guidance to GPs, to A&Es, to healthcare professionals, to lower the threshold of when they would normally give antibiotics, so we are seeing a significant number of increased use of antibiotics.”
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