For many families, September means a return to school and nursery. Unfortunately, the beginning of a new term often means exposure to new germs, and it’s common for children to catch colds and other viruses when starting nursery or school for the first time or going into a new class.
The good news is there are steps you can take to help protect your family from those dreaded back-to-school illnesses and reduce the likelihood of your child becoming unwell.
Here are Orr Medical’s top tips for staying well during back to school season.
Hand Hygiene
Handwashing is one of the simplest but most effective ways to stop the spread of viruses. Practicing good hand hygiene at home is key, as well as teaching children how to wash their hands properly.
Encourage children to wash their hands:
- After using the toilet
- Before and after mealtimes
- After coughing and sneezing (while using a tissue to catch germs.)
- Hands should be washed in warm water with soap for at least 20 seconds.
If you’re out and about without access to soap and running water, hand sanitiser can be used on visibly clean hands. However, it’s important to note that hand sanitiser isn’t effective against all germs. For example, Norovirus (also sometimes called the ‘winter vomiting bug’) can be spread through contact with hands and surfaces, and can’t be killed by alcohol-based hand sanitisers.
Childhood Vaccinations
Childhood vaccinations not only keep families safe from serious illnesses, but they also help to protect the most vulnerable members of society, such as very young babies, the elderly, and people living with serious illnesses.
Babies and children are offered vaccinations at set times according to the NHS vaccination schedule. Make sure your child is up to date with their vaccinations before starting nursery or school. If you’re not sure if your child has had their routine vaccinations or you’re worried they’ve missed one, you can check their personal child health record (also known as their ‘red book’). Alternatively, you can ask your GP surgery, who will have a record of their vaccination history.
Some childhood vaccinations are given in school. If your child is due to have a vaccination, you’ll be contacted by the school vaccination service in advance and will be asked for your consent before the vaccination is given.
You and your family may also be offered additional vaccinations, for example, the BCG vaccine, the flu vaccine, or the Covid-19 vaccine. The UK government is also set to launch a chickenpox vaccination programme from January 2026.
Staying Home When Unwell
One of the dilemmas parents often face is whether or not it’s OK to send their child to school when they’re unwell.
As a parent, you know your child best, but the general rule is that it’s OK for a child to go to school with a mild cold, for example, if they have a slight cough, sore throat, a runny nose or they’re sneezing, providing they don’t also have a temperature (fever).
Children with a raised temperature should stay home until their temperature returns to normal and they are feeling better.
If you or your child has diarrhoea and/or vomiting, you will need to stay at home and not go to work, nursery or school until 48 hours have passed since your last episode.
You will also need to keep your child at home for a set period if they have a highly contagious childhood illness such as scarlet fever or chickenpox.
Warning Signs
While most back-to-school illnesses aren’t serious and pass quickly, others can be more serious.
Children can become unwell very quickly, so it’s important to familiarise yourself with the warning signs of more serious illnesses and know when and where to get help.
Serious illnesses in childhood include:
There are also rising cases of illnesses such as measles, which is highly contagious and can lead to serious complications, and Rubella (German measles), which is rare but extremely dangerous in pregnancy,
The NHS has a checklist on how to spot if your baby or toddler is seriously ill, and what to do, and the warning signs are similar for older children.
Remember that you know your child best, so trust your instincts and if in doubt, check it out.