UK schools that have witnessed incidents of Streptococcus A bacterial infection may be allowed to give children antibiotics to prevent an outbreak, Minister of State for Schools Nick Gibb said on Tuesday.
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th December, 2022) UK schools that have witnessed incidents of Streptococcus A bacterial infection may be allowed to give children antibiotics to prevent an outbreak, Minister of State for Schools Nick Gibb said on Tuesday.
"What the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) is doing is working closely with the schools involved and giving very specific advice to those schools, which may involve the use of penicillin and so on," Gibb told Sky news.
Gibb also noted that a specific decision in connection with preventing outbreaks would be made at a later date.
On Monday, the Daily Mail reported on an antibiotic shortage in the UK amid an increase in Strep A cases and the death of several children. The main reason for the shortage was the growth of seasonal diseases.
The situation may also be exacerbated by new UKHSA guidelines requiring doctors to write a prescription if they suspect a streptococcal infection, the initial symptoms of which are similar to the common cold, according to the report.
In the past few weeks, at least nine children in the UK have died of complications from Streptococcus A.
Streptococcus A is a bacterial infection of the throat or skin that usually occurs in winter. Although most cases are mild and often go unnoticed, it can also lead to more serious illness and complications.
