New school term is ‘breeding ground for nasty bugs’ and could trigger ‘worse than ever’ wave of illness, parents warned
PARENTS should vaccinate their kids and watch out for a back-to-school virus wave, health chiefs say.
The UK Health Security Agency warns the new school term will be a breeding ground for cough and stomach bugs.
Mums and dads are urged to check young ones are up to date with flu jabs as well as routine vaccines like measles and whooping cough, which are all free on the NHS.
They should also keep children home from school if they are ill and teach them good hygiene.
Dr Catherine Falconer, a director at the UKHSA, said: “As children head back to school, there are steps parents and families can take to keep the household healthy.
“The winter period can see an increase in common viruses which disrupt children’s education and cause more serious illnesses.
Read more on winter sickness
“By following this guidance, parents are also protecting the wider community.”
It comes as the NHS last week warned winter is “hitting hard” with Covid and flu patient numbers surging and ambulances the busiest they have been in months.
Hospital bosses warned the health service could be hit by its worst winter in memory, as A&E's struggle under the dual threat of junior doctor strikes and high demand.
Flu patient numbers increased to more than 1,300 each day, up more than a third from 942 per day the week before.
Most read in Health
A new Covid variant, JN.1, is also driving up infections to near-record levels.
The number of patients with Covid has risen by 72 per cent in a month to nearly 4,000 per day.
The UKHSA warned it is also seeing a lot of the stomach bugs norovirus and E.coli, while scarlet fever and chickenpox are also more common in winter.
Medics also fear a return of measles - which was once eliminated in England - because not enough parents are vaccinating their children.
Around one in seven children are not fully protected by the time they start school, leaving them at risk from the super-contagious virus.
Between January 1 and September 30 there were 149 laboratory-confirmed measles cases in England compared with 54 in the whole of 2022.
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has warned of a "devastating resurgence"; of the virus.
What are the symptoms of norovirus?
The main symptoms of norovirus are:
- feeling sick (nausea)
- diarrhoea
- being sick (vomiting)
You may also have:
- a high temperature
- a headache
- aching arms and legs
The symptoms start suddenly within 1 to 2 days of being infected.
Source: