Antibiotics are important, life-saving drugs, but only in certain situations!

It’s important for everyone’s health to use antibiotics ONLY when needed.

Antibiotics are only needed for infections caused by bacteria, such as some types of pneumonia, urinary tract infections and ear infections.
Antibiotics are NOT helpful against infections caused by viruses, like the common cold, or the flu. Taking antibiotics when they’re not needed can lead to unwanted adverse effects (e.g. diarrhea) and antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotic resistance is one of the scariest threats to public health. Resistance is when bacteria are no longer killed by antibiotics. The more antibiotic resistance, the harder it is to treat even common infections. Each year in the United States, at least 2 million people get infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and at least 23,000 people die as a result.

How can you help?

Having a sick child can be scary and overwhelming. We want your child to feel better as soon as possible, but sometimes antibiotics cause more harm than good. Talk to your doctor about when antibiotics are needed, and don’t demand antibiotics when they’re not. Instead, ask your doctor for symptomatic treatment recommendations for viral infections and advice about what to do if your child isn’t improving as expected off antibiotics. When you do receive an antibiotic, always take it as directed: do not share your prescription or “save some for later.”