"No Tylenol"... Painkiller Shortage Continues for Two Months Due to Vaccine Impact

Fever and Pain After Vaccination
Acetaminophen Pain Reliever Recommended

AZ Vaccinations for Ages 65-74 Begin on 27th, Full Resumption Underway
Painkiller Shortages Expected to Worsen

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] "The number of people seeking Tylenol due to COVID-19 vaccinations has increased sharply. We are struggling to secure enough supply." (Pharmacist A)

A nationwide shortage of the painkiller 'Tylenol' continues at pharmacies. Pharmacist A, who runs a pharmacy in Seoul, said, "The stress caused by Tylenol recently is no joke," adding, "Distributors keep saying 'there is no product'." The Tylenol supply shortage has lasted for about two months since the end of March. Especially with the recent full resumption of the first dose of vaccinations, which had briefly slowed down, concerns are rising that the shortage will worsen.

The background of the supply shortage is the increasing number of COVID-19 vaccinations. As demand rises to prepare painkillers in advance in case of mild adverse reactions such as fever and pain after vaccination, a shortage has occurred. In particular, demand has concentrated on Tylenol, the representative acetaminophen-based painkiller, worsening the supply shortage.

Currently, painkillers distributed in the market are broadly divided into acetaminophen-based and ibuprofen-based types according to their ingredients. Acetaminophen is a 'fever reducer and pain reliever,' while ibuprofen is an 'anti-inflammatory painkiller' with both pain relief and anti-inflammatory effects.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has advised against taking ibuprofen painkillers, warning that they may suppress the immune response to COVID-19 vaccines and cause side effects.

Our health authorities also recommend taking acetaminophen-based painkillers if mild adverse reactions occur. In addition to Tylenol, acetaminophen painkillers such as Hanmi Pharmaceutical's 'Suspension,' Bukwang Pharmaceutical's 'Tasenol,' Chong Kun Dang's 'Penzal,' and Yuhan Corporation's 'Tanacen' are distributed domestically.

Card news from the Korean Pharmaceutical Association guiding the use of acetaminophen pain relievers (Photo by the Korean Pharmaceutical Association)

The problem is that because Tylenol is well-known, consumers do not pay attention to other products. Pharmacist B in the Busan area lamented, "We have stocked other acetaminophen painkillers as a temporary measure, but 8 out of 10 customers only ask for Tylenol," adding, "Even when we explain that they are the same medicine, some customers get angry, asking why we are giving them something else."

Initially, the authorities directly mentioned the specific brand name Tylenol when guiding painkiller use, which led to protests from organizations such as the Korean Pharmaceutical Association. Since then, the authorities have only provided guidance using ingredient names instead of brand names. A representative from the Pharmaceutical Association said, "It seems a kind of fixed notion has taken root," adding, "We are requesting the authorities to provide guidance by ingredient names and continuously promoting to vaccine recipients to consult pharmacists when purchasing medicines, as there are various drugs with the same ingredients besides Tylenol."

The Tylenol shortage is likely to worsen for the time being. On the 27th, AstraZeneca (AZ) COVID-19 vaccinations began for the elderly aged 65 to 74, and the first dose vaccinations, which had temporarily stagnated, are gaining momentum. As of midnight that day, 4,030,744 people had received their first COVID-19 vaccine dose, about 7.8% of the total population.

The government aims to complete the first dose for 13 million people by the end of next month, so it is expected that an additional average of about 300,000 first doses will be administered daily next month. Second doses are also being administered concurrently. Authorities said, "We can vaccinate up to 1 million people per day," and are accelerating the vaccination process.

Korea Johnson & Johnson, responsible for distributing Tylenol domestically, stated, "Tylenol is being supplied normally as before," and added, "We will strive to ensure stable supply."