Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB
Parents and carers across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire are being encouraged to learn more about common childhood illnesses and when antibiotics are, and are not needed, as part of a new campaign.
The ‘Super Bodies’ campaign aims to help families feel more confident managing common childhood conditions such as earache, sore throat and cough, while highlighting the important role community pharmacies can play in providing advice, reassurance and support.
Parents and carers can expect to see the distinctive ‘Super Bodies’ campaign materials across social media for the next few weeks.
The campaign coincides with children returning to school and nursery settings when we often see an increase in illnesses.
The messaging supports on-going work to promote the appropriate use of antibiotics and tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR) across the area. Antimicrobial resistance happens when bacteria become resistant to antibiotics, making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of serious illness.
Pharmacist, Michael Pritchard said: “Antibiotics are one of the most important medicines we have and, for many children, they can be an essential and sometimes life-saving treatment.
“However, antibiotics are only effective against bacterial infections, and many common childhood illnesses, including coughs, sore throats and earaches, are either caused by viruses, or will get better on their own as a child’s immune system fights the infection.
“When antibiotics are used unnecessarily, they won’t help children recover any faster, but they can contribute to antimicrobial resistance. This is when bacteria adapt over time and become more difficult to treat with the antibiotics we rely on.”
Supported by trained pharmacy teams, the campaign will provide practical advice on common childhood illnesses and help families better understand the role of antibiotics and when they may, or may not, be needed.
There’s a host of information about children’s health and wellbeing on the NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire website, including advice on when it’s best to keep your child off school and symptoms to look out for for a huge range of illnesses.
