The Latest Breaking News from antibiotic

"There will be more people dying of this than dying of cancer."

France is one of several countries facing shortages of the widely used antibiotic amoxicillin and other medications, with surging illnesses among children increasing demand for the drugs.

A national shortage of drugs has forced a change in how antibiotics are given out

Around 19 children are thought to have died from infections caused by the bacterium as cases rose 27 per cent in the last week

With time running out in the 2022 congressional session, a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers and infectious disease specialists is scrambling to pass a bill aimed at spurring the development of antibiotics to combat the deadly spread of drug-resistant pathogens.

Latest figures show a steep rise in cases of the bacteria since peaks seen in 2016.

In today’s newsletter: Pharmacists had warned about a supply shortage before rising cases of the infection were reported – were they right?

It is something of a horror story. Children are getting sick with a perfectly treatable illness but parents are struggling to get their hands on the right drug — penicillin, no less — and some are dying. People are visiting eight, nine pharmacies and travelling to different cities to fill…

Parents and doctors alike fear meningococcal infection, which has been in the news again. Doctors never want to miss a diagnosis, as early treatment with antibiotics may be life-saving. Parents fear the disease because up to 10% of children who become infected die from the disease and its complications.