When Should "I" Keep My Child Home From School?
General Guidelines for Keeping Children Home From School Due to Illness:
It is sometimes difficult to decide when and how long to keep an ill child home from school. The timing of the absence is often important in order to decrease the spread of disease to others and to prevent your child from acquiring any other disease while his/her resistance is lowered.
The following guidelines represent the more common childhood illnesses and usual recommendations.
Illness | Guideline |
|---|---|
Chicken Pox | Your child should remain home until the blisters have scabbed over, usually 5-7 days after the first crop of blisters appear. |
Common Cold | Your child should remain home if symptoms are serious enough to interfere with your child’s ability to learn, i.e. uncontrollable coughing, significant nasal drainage. |
Fever | If your child’s temperature is 100 degrees F or greater (1-2 degrees above the child’s normal temperature), the child should remain home until fever free for 24 hours without medication to decrease the fever. |
Flu | Your child should remain home until symptoms are gone and the child is without a fever for 24 hours. |
Head Lice | Your child may return to school after receiving treatment with a lice shampoo and is nit free. Your child should receive a second treatment within 5-7 days of the first treatment. |
Impetigo | Your child should remain home until receiving 48 hours of antibiotic therapy and sores are no longer draining. |
Pinkeye | Your child should remain home from school until receiving 24 hours of antibiotic therapy and the eye drainage has stopped. |
Scabies | Your child may return to school with proof of treatment. |
Strep Throat & Scarlet Fever | Your child should remain home from school until receiving a full 24 yours of antibiotic therapy and without fever or vomiting for 24 hours. |
Vomiting & Diarrhea | Your child should remain home without vomiting or diarrhea for a full 24 hours. |
If your child is seriously ill, sick enough to miss several days of school, or hospitalized, please notify the clinic.