- Good hand hygiene – always ensure hands are washed and cleaned with soap and water regularly particularly after going to the toilet, before eating or drinking and after handling animals. Alcohol gel is a good way of quickly disinfecting hands that are already clean. This is good advice for the whole family to follow too.
- Avoid anyone who is obviously infectious, i.e. coughing and sneezing excessively such as on public transport, shopping, cinema trips and visitors to your home.
- Drink boiled cooled water which should be replaced every 24 hours. Other drinks such as milk, fizzy pop, fizzy water or cartons of juice are all fine to drink as these drinks have undergone some form of pasteurisation. This precaution is to reduce the risk of contracting a specific stomach bug which can cause diarrhoea and may delay treatment.
- Vaccinations/Immunisations for the whole family – ensure you receive full advice from your child’s doctor regarding chicken pox, measles, live vaccines and influenza (flu).
Reducing infection risk
There are various ways you can help to reduce your child’s chances of infection.