Viral "Do Not Kiss and Touch Baby" Stickers Have Medical Backing

Recently, social media has been filled with stickers bearing the message “do not kiss and touch babies,” which parents use when receiving visitors or sharing images of their babies on social media.

This message is not merely an internet trend.

Several health experts have warned that touching or kissing babies can increase the risk of disease transmission, as babies’ immune systems remain highly vulnerable to infection.

This warning has also drawn government attention, particularly ahead of Lebaran gatherings when many families come together.

Andi Saguni, Acting Director General of Disease Control at the Ministry of Health, stated that the habit of touching toddlers and babies when meeting family members should be reduced.

“The habit of casually touching young children and babies, particularly during Lebaran, should indeed be reduced or avoided due to high transmission risks,” said Andi during an online press conference on Friday, 6 March 2026.

According to Andi, large family gatherings can increase the risk of disease transmission, including measles.

If a child experiences fever or develops a rash, the public is urged to take the child immediately to a health facility and avoid gatherings.

Dr. Sermed Mezher, a UK-based family doctor, explained that kissing babies on the face or lips can transmit certain viruses.

“To protect babies, many paediatricians recommend a ‘no kissing’ policy for anyone who is not the primary caregiver, particularly on the face or hands,” said Mezher, quoted from an Antara report on Wednesday, 25 February 2026.

He explained that herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), which causes blistering sores or cold sores on the lips, can be transmitted through close contact such as kissing or skin-to-skin contact.

The virus can even transmit even if a person shows no visible sores.