Costco recently notified consumers that packs of its Kirkland Signature Severe Cold & Flu Plus Congestion caplets have been recalled amid cold and flu season.
The boxes of caplets, which include both day and night medications, are being pulled "due to potential foreign material contamination," according to a Jan. 2 notice Costco shared on its website from LNK International, Inc., the New York-based manufacturer behind the drugs.
The recalled medicine was sold at Costco stores in Midwest and Southeast states between Oct. 30, 2024 and Nov. 30, 2024. The items bear the item number 1729556. According to LNK International's notice, recalled units are marked with the lot code of P140082 along the side of the medicine boxes.
"Do not use any remaining product marked with the above lot code; return the item to your local Costco for a full refund," LNK International advised Costco shoppers in the notice.
The Kirkland Signature label is Costco's in-house brand and spans a variety of products across multiple categories from apparel and household goods to gasoline, grocery and health products.
Cases of RSV, flu ticking up among young children in US as respiratory virus season beginsThe drug recall comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to track a rise in seasonal flu activity across the U.S. In the week ending on Dec. 28, 2024, the CDC noted flu cases remained elevated in most states and were trending upward by about 18%.
The federal agency estimates over 5 million individuals have come down with the flu, resulting in 63,000 hospitalizations and 2,700 deaths from flu so far this season.
Influenza, more commonly known as the flu, can cause mild to severe illness. Symptoms vary but may include fever, chills, a cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue, vomiting and diarrhea, according to the CDC.
Flu cases rise among kids, plus how to prepare a 'flu box', according to an ER doctorAnyone can get the flu, but adults 65 years and older, those with chronic medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease, pregnant people and kids under 5 are especially at risk of serious flu-related complications.
ABC News has reached out to Costco and LNK International, Inc. for comment.