The back-to-school season could bring a surge in illnesses, even though it’s summer. Photo: Half Point.

Young children starting daycare or kindergarten for the first time may be particularly susceptible to viruses and insects due to their congregate settings and developing immune systems, making them susceptible to long-term illness, even during the summer months.

Parents of children attending childcare centers often see messages warning about illnesses such as influenza, gastrointestinal illness and hand, foot and mouth disease, which often spread quickly among young participants and their families.

“Children are very interactive. They’re passing things and toys to each other, they’re touching each other, so there’s a lot of opportunity for viruses and bugs to not only get on surfaces (which is very normal), but also to pass it on to each other,” Illawarra-Shoalhaven Local Health District director of public health Curtis Gregory said.

Children may be exposed to many of these viruses for the first time in close settings, and their bodies are not yet equipped to fight them off.

“They have developed immune systems and may be so-called naïve to some exposures. So, for example, in a child who has never been exposed to pertussis before, their immune system has never had to deal with it before. So the first exposure prompts the immune system to start recognizing that particular virus or bacteria and start building immunity. It’s a progressive process,” Gregory said.

“Things like vaccines that are available for specific conditions are really helpful because they work quickly and are immediately recognizable. They are the best prevention we can offer.”

While the disease appears to spread more rapidly in the winter as more people stay indoors, closer together and with less airflow in spaces, the summer presents its own challenges, especially as schools reopen and children suddenly return to classrooms and large group gatherings.

“We believe it will be revived under new conditions,” Gregory said.

“Illnesses such as whooping cough and gastroenteritis will trickle down around school children and early childcare centers, because older children who attend school often have younger siblings, and when they return home, the infection will spread and the cycle of these diseases will continue.”

There’s no one-size-fits-all formula for how quickly children develop immunity, and parents are frustrated by the cycles of illness and how these constant bugs become a part of their lives for months or even years.

But eventually it will improve.

“Kids who go to playgroup, who go to day care, who go to early learning, who interact a lot with other people, you always see a little bit of a difference when those kids go to kindergarten,” Gregory said.

“Children who have had more exposure will have more protection once they move on to the next stage of school.”

At this time, it’s important to keep your child as healthy as possible with proper rest, vitamins from fruits and vegetables, and hydration to give them the best chance of fighting the disease, and hygiene and cleaning are key to reducing the spread of infection.

“We know that infants and young children are not good at hand hygiene and it’s a developing skill for them, so we just remind them to wash their hands before eating,” Gregory said.

“You can’t just keep going because it’s a never-ending job wiping down every surface after your child. It’s a never-ending task, so it’s important to focus on where the activity actually takes place. That means making sure they’re focusing on key points after your child uses the bathroom, after they take a bath, or before you prepare a meal.”

“Even if you’re just giving them cereal or fruit or something like that, it’s just a matter of raising awareness to make sure you’re mitigating any kind of risks that are out there.”

These illnesses may be standard, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t serious.

“Parents of young children should be aware that symptoms can worsen quickly,” Gregory says.

“You can’t be too cautious. Don’t feel like you’re a helicopter parent when you look at your child’s symptoms. If symptoms get worse, take them to see a doctor or call your doctor for advice.”

“We also have a 24/7 hotline called HealthDirect on 1800 022 222, which is staffed by nurses who can talk to parents and carers and let them know what the risks are and what to look out for.”