SICKNESS & INFECTIOUS DISEASES POLICY February 2010
We must consider the health of all the children in our care, including our own children, and ourselves, and are legally required to take necessary steps to prevent the spread of infection and take appropriate action, which may at times mean exclusion.
This requires the co-operation of ALL parents. If we become ill, we may not be able to work.
If your child has an infection, be it bacterial, fungal or viral, they need to be treated and kept at home where they will feel happier, recover more quickly, and will not pass the infection to others.
A minimum exclusion period of 48 hours will apply from the start of a course of antibiotics, after which it will be discussed and agreed when your child may return to the setting, giving your child a chance to recover and minimising the risk of infecting others.
Should your child have an above normal temperature, this is an indication that he/she has an infection. Your child will need to be kept at home until a temperature-free period of 24 hours has passed without the administration of any pain or fever relief, before your child returns to the group, giving your child a chance to recover and minimising the risk of infecting other children, ourselves and our children.
If your child has symptoms over a period of time, e.g. constant green mucous, unusually clingy/fragile, loss of appetite, etc., they do need to be seen by a health professional.
Please do not bring your child if he/she is unwell or has any infectious disease.
Please discuss the symptoms with us first to ascertain whether we are able to admit her/him.
Should your child become unwell whilst in our care, we may contact you to request that you collect him/her as soon as possible.
Following is a list of infectious diseases together with minimum exclusion periods:-
Diseases
Chicken Pox+
Incubation: 12-21 days Infectious from 0-2 days before onset of illness and rash starting Exclusion: 5 days from appearance of rash
German Measles
Incubation: 14-21 days (Rubella) Infectious from 0-2 days before onset of illness and rash starting. Exclusion: 5 days from appearance of rash
Measles
Incubation: 7-21 days Infectious from 3-5 days before onset of illness and rash starting. Exclusion: 5 days from appearance of rash. Exclude if cough/cold/chill or red eyes develop
Scarlet Fever*
Incubation: 2-5 days Infectious from 1-2 days before onset of illness and rash starting. Exclusion: until clinical recovery - approximately 10 days 5 days after commencing antibiotics.
Streptococcal Sore Throat
Exclusion: until clinical recovery
Whooping Cough* (Pertussis)
Incubation: 5-14 days. Exclusion: until clinical recovery approximately 21 days from start of cough, 5 days from commencing antibiotics
Mumps *
Incubation: 12-28 days. Exclusion: until all swelling has subsided - at least 7 days 5 days from onset of swollen glands
Diarrhoea & Vomiting
Exclusion: until 48 hours from last episode of diarrhoea or vomiting (exclusion from swimming 2 weeks after last episode)
Infective Jaundice
Incubation: 14-42 days. Seek clearance from family GP
Poliomyelitis
Seek clearance from family GP
Meningoccal Meningitis
Incubation: 2-10 days. Seek clearance from family GP
Glandular Fever
Seek clearance from family GP
Tuberculosis*
Consult with Health Protection Unit
Diphtheria*
Exclude. Consult Health Protection Unit
Typhoid/enteric fever*
Exclude. Consult Health Protection Unit (and paratyphoid*)
Dysentery (Shigella)
Exclude. Consult HPU Incubation: 1-7 days.
Food Poisoning
Exclude. Incubation: 0-2 days. Consult HPU.
E. coli 0157 VTEC
Exclude. Consult HPU. (exclusion from swimming 2 weeks after last episode of diarrhoea)
Hand, foot & mouth
Exclusion until symptoms disappeared & child feels well Incubation: 3-5 days Infectious via faeces many weeks
Slapped cheek + (fifth disease)
Incubation: 4-20 days. Infectious: 7 days before rash
Erythema infectiosum Parvovirus B19 Singles+
Exclusion: while child feels unwell. Exclude if rash is weeping and cannot be covered
Eye and Skin Infections
Athletes Foot
Infected area must be covered. Treatment advised.
Conjunctivitis
Exclusion: until treated and no longer infectious
Impetigo
Exclusion: until lesions are crusted or healed. If widespread or uncovered, exclude until cured.
Ringworm
Exclusion: until treatment has commenced If lesions are small and covered, child may attend. If widespread or uncovered, exclude until cured.
Lice/Nits
If live lice present, exclude until child and family have been treated.
Scabies
Exclude until child and family have had first treatment
Warts/Verrucae
If treated and covered, child may attend.
Hand, Foot & Mouth
Exclude while symptoms of rash and fever are present.
Worms (thread, ship, round, tape worm)
Exclude until child and family have been treated
Molluscum Contagiosum
If papules are treated and covered, child may attend.
* Notifiable Disease
+ Can cause problems for vulnerable children and in pregnancy
For any other infections or diseases not listed above, we will follow the guidelines set out in the following documents:-
Health Protection Agency: Guidance on Infection Control in Schools and other Childcare Settings
Dept of Health, Dept for Education & Employment & Public Health Laboratory Service: Our Healthier Nation Guidance on infection control in schools and nurseries
Wendy & Louis Bernardelle