# 3538
If you live in New Zealand, it is getting increasingly difficult to find alcohol based hand sanitizers on the store shelves.
Demand is outstripping supply, and much as we saw from the UK earlier this week with thermometers (see A Cautionary Tale From The UK), those who fail to prepare in advance may find it tough to do so one a crisis begins.
This report comes via Kiwibird on Flutrackers. After you’ve read it, I’ll have a few more comments.
Suppliers face hand-sanitiser drought
By LIAM NAPIER - Manawatu StandardLast updated 12:00 24/07/2009
Sales of hand sanitiser are skyrocketing as Kiwis try to beat the swine flu pandemic.
David Berry, manager of Palmerston North company Specialist Cleaning Supplies, said sales of Purell, the most popular hand sanitiser in the world, had gone through the roof so much so it had sold out in New Zealand.
"We have sold more small pump bottles in the last month than we did in the last year," he said.
"I think swine flu has been the kick most people needed. We have been pushing the necessity of good hand sanitation for a long time."
Specialist Cleaning Supplies had also installed hundreds of extra sanitiser systems in toilets around Manawatu, including Massey University, Fonterra, and some schools.
Another office supply company, Office Max, has seen a 550 per cent increase in hand sanitiser sales.
In June, 4900 units of its 500ml bottle were sold in New Zealand, up from 750 in May.
Palmerston North Office Max retail manager Rodger Bate said suppliers were playing catch-up.
"The sudden spike has caused exceptional demand."
My guess is that hand sanitizers are still available in New Zealand, although spot – localized – shortages are probably becoming more common. And new shipments will probably arrive in August as this article suggests.
But if it is your family, or business, desperately seeking hand sanitizer to try to limit the spread of the virus – and the shelves in your town are bare – then the shortage might as well be nationwide.
Right now, in the Northern Hemisphere (with the exception of the UK) most countries are only seeing limited transmission of the virus. Flu supplies, like hand sanitizer, are widely available.
There are no shortages . . .yet.
But we are probably only 60 days (or less) from seeing this pandemic virus flare up in our own backyards, and once that happens, the basic supplies we may need could quickly sell out.
Things like hand sanitizer, facemasks, fever reducers, and yes . . . even thermometers.
For now, our ability to resupply store shelves remains intact, and so purchases made today won’t adversely affect the amount of product on the shelves in October.
People who can buy the supplies they need now, rather than waiting for flu season to arrive, will actually help matters by taking some of the burden off the supply chain during `peak demand’ this fall.
We aren’t talking about hoarding, buying more than you need, or trying to `corner the market’. We are talking about reasonable purchases of items you may need to protect your family, or your employees at their workplace.
The same rationale can be used when laying in a week or two’s worth of food in your pantry – something you might be very grateful to have if you find yourself ill, or exposed, and asked to stay home for a week or longer.
Nearly three months ago I wrote (see The Stockpiling Dilemma) that the window of opportunity for large-scale personal stockpiling was passed. That it was no longer practical to urge people to go out and try to lay in a supply to last their families one, two, or even three months.
A public call to `stock up’ now, would probably result in a mad rush to the stores by millions of people. Those who were slow to act, or who didn’t have the financial resources to stock up, could find that the shelves would be bare for them and their families.
The HHS’s Flu.gov website offers this advice on preparing for a pandemic:
You can prepare for an influenza pandemic now. You should know both the magnitude of what can happen during a pandemic outbreak and what actions you can take to help lessen the impact of an influenza pandemic on you and your family. This checklist will help you gather the information and resources you may need in case of a flu pandemic.
- To plan for a pandemic:
- Store a two week supply of water and food. During a pandemic, if you cannot get to a store, or if stores are out of supplies, it will be important for you to have extra supplies on hand. This can be useful in other types of emergencies, such as power outages and disasters.
- Periodically check your regular prescription drugs to ensure a continuous supply in your home.
- Have any nonprescription drugs and other health supplies on hand, including pain relievers, stomach remedies, cough and cold medicines, fluids with electrolytes, and vitamins.
- Talk with family members and loved ones about how they would be cared for if they got sick, or what will be needed to care for them in your home.
- Volunteer with local groups to prepare and assist with emergency response.
- Get involved in your community as it works to prepare for an influenza pandemic.
Given the current virulence of the novel H1N1 virus, having 2-weeks worth of supplies on hand is probably sufficient. And two-weeks is also a reasonable amount of supplies to have on hand to weather practically any other major disaster.
Sadly, 90% of American families haven’t bothered. Some, no doubt, simply can’t afford to stock up. Others, who could have, simply decided it wasn’t worth it.
- For what a typical family of 4 spends in one night at McDonalds for burgers and a Happy Meal for the kids, they could have bought a week’s supply of rice and beans.
- The price of a delivery pizza or a pair of movie tickets would more than pay for a box of couple of boxes of facemasks, a thermometer, a bottle of acetaminophen, and a couple of large jugs of hand sanitizer.
It’s all about choices. Good ones, bad ones. And timely ones.
The time is now to make some good ones.
