Parents urged to avoid February back-to-school ‘asthma spike’

By Shepparton News

Jan 12, 2023

A deep breath: Parents are encouraged to book an asthma check-up before the school year begins.

Parents and carers of children with asthma are encouraged to book in an asthma check-up to avoid the annual February back-to-school asthma spike.

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Louisa Owens, paediatric respiratory physician and member of the National Asthma Council Australia Guidelines Committee, said now was a great time to help get children asthma-ready for the school year ahead.

Dr Owens said it was important for children with asthma to be vaccinated if possible as COVID-19 case numbers were expected to surge before the start of the school year.

“January is an ideal time to have a full asthma check-up with your GP, including a review of your child’s written asthma action plan, medications and inhaler technique for relievers and preventers ahead of the February back-to-school asthma spike,” she said.

The sharp rise in children being admitted to hospital with asthma in February each year was thought to be due to a change of environment or allergens, sharing a new set of bugs with classmates, which could trigger colds and respiratory infections and possibly missing preventer doses over the holidays.

Back-to-school: Asthma symptoms are expected to spike as children return to school.

The National Asthma Council prepared a checklist for a symptom-free start to the school year:

schedule an asthma check-up with your health provider and discuss the COVID-19 vaccine for your child if you have questions;
share a copy of your child’s up-to-date written asthma action plan with school staff and after-school carers;
make sure your child knows to tell school staff when they have asthma symptoms;
make sure your child is taking any asthma prevention medicine as prescribed;
check that your child knows how to effectively use their inhaler by themselves (if old enough); and
get the seasonal flu shot every year.

Download the National Asthma Council Australia’s back-to-school checklist at nationalasthma.org.au for more information.