A new campaign to help keep antibiotics working and tackle the threat of antibiotic resistance has been launched.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has launched the campaign headed by its mascot, ‘Andi Biotic’. ‘Andi’ will embark on a mission to answer people’s uncertainties about when and how to take antibiotics to help preserve their effectiveness today and for future generations.
‘Andi’ will come to the rescue in a variety of scenarios to make sure people are taking antibiotics in the right way, including:
- not taking antibiotics for colds and flu, which they don’t work for, and this remains one of the biggest misconceptions about taking antibiotics,
- only taking antibiotics when you have been prescribed them and taking them as directed by a healthcare professional,
- not saving antibiotics for future use.
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria of any kind are less likely to respond to some treatments, which can cause serious complications, including bloodstream infections, sepsis and hospitalisation. People who get a bacterial infection that is resistant to one or more antibiotics are more likely to die from their infection compared to those who have an antibiotic sensitive infection.
Antibiotic resistance occurs naturally but misuse, including underuse, overuse, and inappropriate use, of antimicrobial medicines is one of the major drivers of drug-resistant infections.
For more information about the correct use of antibiotics visit: Antibiotics – NHS