06/08/2026
Antibiotics are vital medicines — but they only work for bacterial infections. Colds and flu are caused by viruses, so antibiotics won’t help you recover.
To keep antibiotics working for everyone:
• Don’t take them for viral illnesses
• Never save leftovers for later
• Always follow the instructions from your GP, nurse or pharmacist
Together, we can protect antibiotics for the future.
•Did you know that using antibiotics when you don’t need them can make infections harder to treat in the future? Antibiotic resistance is a growing global problem, but we can all help by using antibiotics responsibly.
If you’re prescribed antibiotics, take them exactly as directed — and never share or save them. Let’s protect these life‑saving medicines.