CHO’s advice to parents anxious about sending children back to school

Queensland’s top doctor has said a ‘substantial’ number of children will get Covid-19 when school resumes, but has given one reason why parents should not be ‘too anxious’.

The state’s top doctor has told parents not to get “too anxious” about their children catching Covid-19 in the classroom as an outbreak is “inevitable” when schools return in the first week of February.

After delaying the start of school to avoid the Omicron peak in Queensland, chief health officer Dr John Gerrard said it’s likely a substantial number of children will get the virus.

“I worry that we’re making parents overly anxious that it’s going to make them terribly ill,” Dr Gerrard said.

While the CHO acknowledged rare complications can occur when children test positive for Covid, he said the most would experience mild symptoms.

“There definitely are rare complications in children, I’m not going to downplay it, but for the vast majority it is a simple respiratory virus like any virus they would have had in the past,” he said.

CHO Dr John Gerrard says complications for young people with Covid are rare. Picture: Liam Kidston

“It’s very likely that there will be a surge in infections when schools return, we know that … it’s inevitable that will happen.”

Dr Gerrard said that rather than worrying about illness, parents should focus on stopping children from passing the virus to vulnerable groups.

“In reality the biggest risk is not to the children themselves, but to the people around them, their parents and grandparents,” he said.

“These two extra weeks give an opportunity to others who might be at risk to get their third dose. If I’m pushing anything it’s that in particular.”

He said vaccination in children is still important, with even one dose acting as some form of protection against the virus.

From today, children aged five to 11 can now receive their vaccine from private and public vaccination hubs, however it isn’t mandatory for them to return to school.

Originally published as CHO’s advice to parents anxious about sending children back to school