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Child Care Providers / School Staff

Why should child care providers and school staff be concerned about antibiotic resistance?

Here are some statistics that you might not have considered.

  • According to 2002 US Census data, 63 percent of children under 5 years of age attend some type of day care.
  • Children under 2 years old get 8 to 10 colds per year.
  • Children have the highest rates of antibiotic use and the highest rate of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
  • The day care setting is a perfect setting for brewing and transmitting respiratory viruses. Children are typically in close contact for long periods of time and have developing personal hygiene skills.
  • Numerous studies have linked student absenteeism to decreased achievement.
  • Some of the burden of teaching and reinforcing good personal hygiene skills as well as preventing the transmission of germs ultimately falls on the shoulders of child care and school staff.