Hand sanitizer flies off the shelves in the fight against the flu

With hand sanitizer and anti-bacterial wipes flying of the shelves, some stores keeping up with demand may be difficult.

And as the nation awaits a vaccine for the H1N1 to be more readily available, here in Iowa taking precautionary steps are the best way to go, according to health officials.

In fact, the Iowa Department of Health's Website is recommending people to clean hands frequently, cover coughs and sneezes, and stay home when ill.

At stores such as Hy-Vee it has been difficult keeping up with demand for both hand sanitizer and anti-bacterial wipes.

Ruth Comer, a spokesperson for Hy-Vee said there has been a significant demand at their stores that reflects a nationwide trend.

“It's difficult to tell what the demand is since sometimes,” since they products sometimes don't arrive on time due to the shortage.

“There is a lot more out of stock,” she said.

Since the outbreak of the H1N1 last spring, Comer said there has been a pretty steady demand, which had made Hy-Vee stores have to place there orders several weeks a months ahead just to keep up.

For Walmart, though their sales have increased, they feel confident there shelves with stay stocked, according to spokesperson Anna Taylor.

Target has seen a similar trend, and has also seen an increase in larger bottles of hand sanitizer being sold since more agencies are buying it in bulk, according to spokesperson Amy Reilly.

Reilly said since the H1N1 virus has been such a hot topic in the general public, the sales on all flu relegated items have been selling a bit earlier than normal.