Should you need urgent health advice please contact your GP or call NHS 111. In an emergency please visit A&E or call 999
Find out more about Strep A, RSV and Child Flu
Parents and carers living in Nottinghamshire are being offered advice about respiratory illnesses in babies and children.
Group A Streptococcus (GAS) – also known as Strep A – is the name given to a type of bacteria sometimes found in the throat or on the skin, it can cause mild illness such as a sore throat.
GAS can also cause scarlet fever or skin infections such as cellulitis or impetigo. But most people carry the bacteria harmlessly and don’t develop an illness. Find out more on our ‘Strep A: What you need to know’ page.
RSV is a very common virus and almost all children are infected with it by the time they’re two years old. In older children and adults, RSV may cause a cough or cold, which is usually mild, but in young children it can cause a condition which only affects young children called bronchiolitis. For more details visit our ‘Respiratory illness in young children’ page or download our poster ‘Respiratory illness in young children’.
Influenza, or ‘the flu’, is a highly infectious viral illness with symptoms that develop quickly and last several days. These can include a fever (body temperature of over 38 degrees Celsius) or chills; a headache; joint and muscle pains; extreme tiredness; a dry cough; a sore throat; having trouble sleeping; lack of appetite; feeling or being sick. Flu can usually be treated at home, speak to a pharmacist for treatment advice and information on flu remedies. More information is available on the page ‘Flu: What you need to know‘ on our Health for Kids website.
And you can find out more about child vaccinations in Nottinghamshire by visiting the ‘School aged immunisation service’ page on our Health for Kids website.
