Good Health is vital to school progress.
Immunisation is a wonderful safeguard to health and we suggest that you contact
your doctor concerning protection against measles, diphtheria, whooping cough,
poliomyelitis and tetanus. It is probable that at some time during your
child’s school career he/she will contact one or more of the common diseases of
childhood listed below. Please keep this information for reference.
|
Illness |
Usual time between infection and illness |
How Long to Keep your Child Away from School |
Whether to keep Contacts home from school or pre-school |
|
Measles |
7-14 days 10 days average |
Five days from appearance of rash |
It is not necessary to keep contacts at home. |
|
German Measles |
14-21 days 18 days average |
Until fully recovered, and for a least 6 days after the rash appears |
It is not necessary to keep contacts at home. |
|
Whooping Cough |
6-20 days 7 days average |
If the child has not received any antibiotic treatment then the child should be kept away from school or pre-school for 3 weeks from the onset of the “whoop”. If appropriate antibiotic treatment is given the child need only kept away from school or pre-school for 5 days from the start of antibiotic treatment. |
Keep the child from close contact with young child who are not immunised against whooping cough. |
|
Mumps |
12-22 days 18 days average |
For one week after the appearance of swelling. |
It is not necessary to keep contacts at home.
|
|
Ringworm |
10-14 days |
Until appropriate treatment is begun |
It is not necessary to keep contacts at home |
|
Impetigo |
5-21 days |
Children excluded if sores are on exposed surfaces such as face, scalp, hands or legs. Allowed to return to school if sores are being treated and properly covered with a clean dressing. |
It is not necessary to keep contacts at home. |
|
Infectious Hepatitis |
15-50 days 28 days average |
Until child has recovered, and for one week from the first signs of jaundice. |
It is not necessary to keep contacts at home. |
|
Streptococcal Infection (including Scarlet Fever) |
|
Exclude until at least 7 days after symptoms have subsided or until a medical certificate of recovery is produced. |
It is not necessary to keep contacts at home. |
|
Chicken Pox (Varicella) |
|
Exclude for 5 days after the first spots appear. |
It is not necessary to keep contacts at home. |
|
Pediculosis (Head Lice) |
|
Exclude until hair is completely cleaned and treated. It is preferable that all eggs are removed and no live lice are present in the hair. |
|
|
Trachoma (Sandy Blight) |
|
Excluded until discharge from eyes has ceased. |
|
|
Acute Conjunctivitis |
|
Excluded until discharge from eyes has ceased. |
|
|
Scabies (The Itch) |
|
Excluded until all evidence of the disease has disappeared or a medical certificate is produced stating that treatment has been successful. |
|
It is strongly recommended that all children
receive their immunisation boosters before commencing school. It is
necessary for you to show the school some evidence that this has been done
otherwise children may be excluded from school when there is an outbreak of a
specific infectious disease e.g. measles.
When enrolling your child at school it is necessary to present your immunisation record for the following:-
|
2 months |
Triple Antigen (DTP) – 3 in one vaccine for protection against Diptheria, Tetanus and Whooping Cough. First dose of Sabin oral vaccine (protection against poliomyelitis). |
|
4 months |
Second injection of Triple Antigen (DTP) Second dose of Sabin oral vaccine. |
|
6 months |
Third dose of Triple Antigen Third dose of Sabin oral vaccine |
|
12 months |
One injection of combined Measles-Mumps-Rubella vaccine |
|
18 months |
Booster injection of Triple Antigen |
|
5 years of prior to school entry |
Injection of Combined Diphtheria and Tetanus (CDT) vaccine. Booster dose of Sabine oral vaccine. |