Children at schools with Strep A outbreaks could be given preventative antibiotics, the schools minister has said.
Speaking on Sky News this morning, Nick Gibb said the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) was “working closely with the schools involved and giving very specific advice” to them.
He said this advice “may involve the use of penicillin”.
Yesterday it was reported that an eighth child in the UK had died after being diagnosed with Strep A.
The deputy director of the UKHSA has also said that local health protection teams can give antibiotics to groups of children where there has been a Strep A outbreak.
Dr Colin Brown told Sky News that there is “long-standing guidance” that enables health protection teams to assess the situation in schools and nurseries to consider antibiotic prophylaxis for “either a group of children in certain classes or an entire nursery school”.
Strep A: Support for schools with outbreaks
Updated guidance, published by the UKHSA in October, on scarlet fever outbreaks, which are caused by Strep A, sets out how antibiotics can be used as prophylaxis but adds that a decision will be taken with local outbreak control teams (OCTs) on “a case-by-case basis”.
It adds: “It can be considered in exceptional circumstances by the OCT; for example, when there are reports of severe outcomes or hospitalisations.”
Commenting on the issue this morning, in another interview, Mr Gibb told GB News: “Lord Markham said in the House of Lords yesterday that the UK Health and Security Agency are monitoring the position and are considering those kind of issues in those schools where there is an infection.
“This is an ongoing situation. The UKHSA are involved very closely with those schools and they will be providing further advice later on.
“But [providing antibiotics] may well be an option for those particular schools where there is an infection.”
Mr Gibb also said the UKHSA was “providing more general advice to parents” on the symptoms to look for in their child, such as a “sore throat, fever, high temperature and a red or raised rash on the skin”.
Adam Finn, professor of paediatrics at the University of Bristol, told Times Radio this morning that people were right to be worried about Strep A, and “it’s an enormous tragedy for these families”.
“We’re not used to, in our society, losing the lives of previously healthy children - this is something that’s very shocking and concerning,” he said.
“What we’ve got to do is get the balance right here - on the one hand not alarm people whose children are mildly ill, and there are a lot of mildly ill children around at the moment, and at the same time help people and support people to seek care and attention when their children become seriously ill - relentlessly sicker and sicker as the hours go by. Those are the children that need to be urgently seen.
“Children who’ve got invasive bacterial infection, they don’t have those episodes of feeling better - they just get worse and worse.
“They stop eating, they stop responding, they sleep a lot, they might complain if they are awake of aches and pains and headaches.
“They might have a rash or a sore throat or tummy ache, but they just get sicker and sicker. When you see that progressive decline, that’s the time to get the child to medical attention.”
Downing Street said it can “fully understand” that parents are concerned by rising Strep A cases, but stressed that the NHS is “well prepared” for such situations.
The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “We are seeing a higher number of cases of Group A Sstrep this year compared to usual.
“The bacteria we know causes a mild infection which is easily treated with antibiotics and in rare circumstances it can get into the bloodstream and cause serious illness.
“It is still uncommon but it’s important parents are on the lookout for symptoms.
“But the NHS is well prepared to deal with situations like this, working with the UK Health Security Agency.”
He said any parents who are concerned should contact the NHS.
