“Keep children away from school if they are unwell and have a fever”, say public health experts

Parents and guardians are being asked to keep their children away from school if they are unwell or have a fever.

The plea from Public Health Wales (PHW), which has been made ahead of start of the new term, comes as a result of a rise in winter illnesses such as as flu and coronavirus.

There has also been an increase in cases of scarlet fever being reported in Wales.

Public health experts say that keeping your child away from school if they are unwell is “one of a number of simple steps” to prevent the spread of infections in schools and nurseries in Wales next week.

Children who are unwell with a fever (a high temperature) should stay at home until they feel better and the fever is over.

The advice is similar to that issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) earlier this week, with people also being encouraged to use good hand hygiene and to avoid visiting healthcare settings if they have a flu or suspected coronavirus.

Parents and guardians are also being encouraged to have their child vaccinated against flu. The free flu nasal spray is available for:

• All children in primary school
• All children in secondary school years 7 to 11
• All children who are aged two or three on 31 August 2022
• Children aged six months or over and who have any of the long-term health conditions that puts them at increased risk from flu.

Dr Graham Brown, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control for Public Health Wales said; “It is also important to remind children about the importance of washing their hands to avoid germs spreading and to catch coughs and sneezes in tissues.

“Adults should also try to stay home when unwell. If they have to go out when unwell, it is a good idea to wear a face covering to protect others.”