As winter approaches, it is important that schools are reminded and updated on important health considerations for their pupils/students, parents/carers and staff.
Pupils and staff in schools are particularly susceptible to infections which increase over the winter months such as seasonal influenza (flu) and stomach infections (such as norovirus). These can be very infectious and cause outbreaks in school settings due to the close contact amongst pupils and staff. The spread of these illnesses can be limited by improving infection control practices within the school.
Young children and/or those with chronic illnesses are also at risk of developing complications from certain vaccine preventable infections such as measles and flu. It is important that they are immunised to prevent any complications and to reduce the likelihood of outbreaks in a school setting.
The Winter-readiness pack for schools (PDF, 3MB) provides:
- key messages for care head teachers on winter preparedness
- two checklists on flu and norovirus readiness and when and how to report outbreaks
- leaflets and further information on flu, norovirus and meningitis