Beat The Bugs

Article

‘Beat the Bugs’ was the UK’s first campaign to link a primary school, its parents and a local pharmacy through an SMS ‘Outbreak Alert’ system to help control head lice. Piloted at Wootton Primary School in Northampton and supported by treatment brand Hedrin, the scheme texted parents in a child’s class whenever a case of lice was confirmed, prompting them to check their own children’s hair. Surveys before and after the campaign showed marked improvements: the proportion of parents checking their children’s hair weekly rose sharply, and the great majority felt better informed about prevention and treatment and supportive of the alert system.