As students start to return to school, it’s important to be aware
of the winter illnesses currently circulating and the best ways
to protect your child and others. In this blog, we set out some
of the simple actions that parents of school-age children can
take to help protect their families and those around them.
What’s the current situation?
We are seeing high levels of flu and COVID-19, which is
likely to continue in coming weeks. We are also still seeing high
numbers of scarlet fever, which is caused by the bacteria Group A
streptococcus. You can read more information about strep A
here. Read more about the symptoms of scarlet fever
here.
There are things we can all do to help stop the spread of
infections; teaching young people to do these things will help
them to stay well and protect others.
1 - Staying home when unwell
Knowing when your child should stay at home from school or
nursery if they are poorly can help slow the spread of many
winter illnesses.
- If your child is unwell and has a fever, they should stay
home from school or nursery until they feel better, and the fever
has resolved.
- If your child has diarrhoea and or vomits, they should stay
off school or nursery for at least 48 hours after their symptoms
clear up.
Adults should try to stay home when unwell too.
Children with a runny nose, sore throat, or slight cough who are
otherwise well and do not have a high temperature can continue to
attend their education or childcare setting.
2 - Hand hygiene
Hand-washing is one the most effective ways to stop germs from
spreading.
Regularly washing hands in soap and warm water for 20 seconds or
using hand sanitiser when out and about can help you and your
child to stay well and not pass on germs.
3 - Catching coughs and sneezes
Using a tissue to catch coughs and sneezes and then binning it
before washing your hands with soap and water or hand sanitiser
can help to stop infection from spreading.
Teaching children this habit and providing them with tissues will
help them to not pass on germs when they are
unwell. Our e-bug resources for
Early Years can help you to explain to your child
what good hygiene habits are, how they can practice them and why
they are important.
4 – Get vaccinated
Flu vaccination is still available for all eligible age groups
and is the best protection against the virus.
We have seen good uptake in older age groups but vaccination
among young children remains low. Flu can be very unpleasant and
in some cases can lead to more serious illness.
Getting your child vaccinated protects them and others they come
into contact with. Children are offered the quick and painless
nasal spray vaccine.
Children eligible include:
- Children aged 2 and 3 on 31 August in 2022
- All primary school-aged children
- Some secondary school-aged children
- Children aged 2 to 17 years with long-term health conditions
You can find more information on getting your child vaccinated against flu,
here.
For adults, both flu and COVID-19 vaccinations remain available.
You can read about who is eligible on the NHS
UK website.
5 – Use NHS resources for more information about winter
illnesses
Most winter illnesses can be managed at home and NHS
UK has lots of information available to parents:
Education resources on stopping the spread of
germs
For teachers and those who work in education settings,
our e-Bug resource has lots
of free resources on educating children about stopping the spread
of infection. This includes lesson plans on topics like hand
hygiene and how coughs and sneezes spread illness.
