Health experts have issued a reminder that unwell pupils must stay at home, amid concern over the levels of flu, Covid and scarlet fever.
Guidance issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warns that flu and Covid are currently circulating at high levels and are “likely to continue to increase in coming weeks”.
And the government agency has also cautioned that “high numbers” of cases of scarlet fever, which is caused by strep A bacteria, continue to be reported.
Children with fevers should be kept off school until they are better amid high levels of flu and Covid, a chief medical adviser has told parents.
Professor Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at the UKHSA, told parents that it was important to “minimise” transmission.
“It’s important to minimise the spread of infection in schools and other education and childcare settings as much as possible,” she said.
Parents urged to keep sick pupils off school
“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.”
She added: “Helping children to learn about the importance of good hand hygiene is also key, so practise regular handwashing at home with soap and warm water.
“Catching coughs and sneezes in tissues then binning them is another simple way to help stop illness from spreading.”
And she urged parents to consider flu vaccines for children, saying take-up among school pupils was low and that vaccination was the “the best protection” against the illness.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the union welcomed the “clarity” of the guidance.
“It’s clear that Covid, flu and other viruses are particularly prevalent at the moment. This new UKHSA guidance is a useful reminder to parents of some straightforward steps they can take in helping to reduce the spread of infection within schools and colleges,” he said.
“This will therefore benefit young people’s education, and hopefully keep some pressure off the NHS. The strength of the guidance is its alluring simplicity: regular handwashing, getting a flu vaccine if eligible, and staying at home with a fever.”
Last month the Department for Education told headteachers to contact their local health protection team if there is an outbreak of two or more linked cases of scarlet fever within 10 days.
This appeal followed increased reports of outbreaks of scarlet fever in schools across the UK.
Separately, new data showed that in early December more than 10 per cent of lessons were missed by pupils absent from school, with the vast majority of these absences being down to illness.
