Essential lessons now the children are back in class

Boots pharmacist Whitney Lodovica explains how to ensure your child learns in top health all through the year

- By EMMA JOHNSON

As the summer holidays are now over, parents across the country have dusted off uniforms, checked shoes still fit and treated children to new stationery to ease the return to the classroom.

But illnesses among youngsters typically rise around August and September, when colds and viruses can spread more easily in confined spaces and immunity may have dipped during the summer. The beginning of a school year can also bring both excitement and stress, particularly when facing exams.

So, as well as making sure bags are packed with essentials, it's worth thinking about how to help learners stay healthy and avoid back-to-school bugs. Here we answer some often asked questions from parents as the academic year goes on.

Returning to school often results in illness in our household. Is there anything we can do?

Teach good hygiene This is key to preventing the spread of infection, so teaching children about basic cleanliness is extremely important.

Some of the key hygiene rules I like to recommend are thorough washing of the hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds and using tissues to catch coughs and sneezes.

Up-to-date vaccinations It's important children are up to date with routine childhood vaccinations to help protect them against a number of infectious diseases. In Scotland, the flu vaccine is offered to all children aged 2 to 5 years and children aged 6 months to 2 years at higher risk of flu.

Vaccinations provide the best protection against many specific illnesses and keeping your children’s vaccinations up to date can help protect them as they return to school and all year round.

For more information, parents should get in touch with their local pharmacist or GP.