Schoolchildren with cases of group A streptococcus were given prophylactic antibiotics after nine deaths in the UK linked to the bacteria.
Health Minister Humza Yusuf said he would advise on the matter, adding that the entire health service was “remaining vigilant” for cases.
Parents are urged to remain vigilant for symptoms and contact their GP or NHS24 immediately if they have any concerns.
It’s unclear how many cases of streptococcus have been found in Scotland, but the health minister said they have not surpassed previous peak levels.
On Tuesday, Scottish Conservative MP Sandesh Gulhane asked Mr Yousaf whether the Scottish government was considering prophylactic antibiotics for schools.
In response, Mr Youssef said: “I have asked Public Health Scotland (PHS) and my fellow clinicians for advice on this.
“But we are not complacent, we expect an increase in the number of cases in the coming weeks, so I am asking for advice from clinicians on the issues raised by Sandesh Gulhane.”
The Scottish Government subsequently released a statement saying that “the routine active use of antibiotics is not currently recommended”, but that clinicians may consider this on a case-by-case basis.
Professor Jim McManus, president of the Association of Public Health Directors, said in an interview with BBC Good Morning Scotland that the English-language guide had caused “too much hype”.
He said: “Under UK guidance, if there are children in schools who are epidemiologically linked as siblings or who may have the same infection as a hospitalized child, antibiotics are prescribed.
“I don’t think you will see students being given penicillin for the entire school year because the benefit is minimal, antibiotic resistance will be high, and in fact the antibiotic supply itself does not allow us to give penicillin to the whole school. ”
Many people who carry it are harmless and don’t even know it, but they can pass it on to others who can get sick.
People can get it through close contact, coughing and sneezing, meaning that outbreaks have occasionally occurred in places like schools and nursing homes.
In most cases, the symptoms are mild—a sore throat or a skin infection that is easily treated with antibiotics.
Scottish public health guidelines say group A streptococcal infection peaks typically occur every three to four years, with the last major case occurring in the winter of 2017-2018.
It also suggests that social distancing measures during the Covid-19 pandemic could interrupt the cycle.
As for scarlet fever, 851 cases were reported in the week of November 14-20 this year, compared to an average of 186 cases in recent years.
Mr Yousaf added that PHS has alerted all health services, including general practitioners, to be aware of Strep A and have a “low threshold” for prescribing antibiotics.
He cited recent reports that the UK is facing a shortage of the antibiotic amoxicillin, a type of penicillin used to treat Streptococcus A.
However, the health minister said he had consulted with clinicians and the chief pharmacist and had heard that there was no shortage in Scotland.
© 2022 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites. Learn about our approach to external links.
Post time: Dec-26-2022
