The Health Hub have asked us to share this information:
Teaching good hygiene habits
Parents/carers are urged to encourage good hygiene habits in their families, such as handwashing and using a tissue to catch coughs and sneezes. Regularly washing hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds or using hand sanitiser when convenient, is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of germs.
Knowing when to keep your child at home and when to send them to school
Children are encouraged to stay in school or nursery with symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat or slight cough (if otherwise well and do not have a high temperature), but should stay at home if they feel too unwell to attend and/or if they have a fever. They should stay home until the fever has passed and they are well enough to attend. If they have diarrhoea and/or vomiting they should stay home for at least 48 hours after these symptoms clear up. Let the school know if your child is diagnosed with other illnesses such as scarlet fever and they can advise you how for long your child should stay off school.
Stopping the spread of stomach bugs
Stomach bugs spread easily in schools and nurseries. If you or your child have diarrhoea and/or vomiting, washing hands with soap and warm water and using bleach-based products to clean surfaces will help stop infections from spreading. Don’t prepare food for others if you have such symptoms or for 48 hours after symptoms stop. If you are unwell, you should also avoid visiting people in hospitals and care homes to avoid passing on the infection to those more vulnerable. It’s important not to return to school, nursery or work until 48 hours after symptoms have stopped.
Getting vaccinated
Infections such as flu, which see a seasonal increase in winter, are easily protected against with vaccination. All primary school age children, those aged 2 years (who have turned 2 years old before the 1 September 2024) all 3 year olds and secondary school children from Year 7 to Year 11 are eligible for the flu vaccine. This will protect the children themselves, the school community and elderly relatives.
It’s also important to ensure your children are up-to-date with their routine vaccinations, which protect against diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria and polio. If you are unsure of your child’s vaccination status, you can check their “red book” or contact their GP.
NHS UK also provides easily accessible guidance for parents to help manage winter illness at home.
