Your child may need to stay home or will be sent home if any of the following symptoms are present:
Fever
- If your child’s temperature is 100˚F or higher, keep your child at home. While at home, encourage your child to drink plenty of liquids. Your child should be fever-free for 24 hours (without medicine) before returning to school.
Mild cough/runny nose
- If there’s no fever, and your child feels fairly good, school is fine.
Bad cough/cold symptoms
- Children with bad coughs need to stay home, and possibly see a doctor. It could be a severe cold or possibly bronchitis, flu or pneumonia. But when the cough improves, and your child is feeling better, then it’s back to school. Don’t wait for the cough to disappear entirely – that could take a week or longer.
Diarrhea and/or vomiting
- Keep your child home until the illness is over and for 24 hours after the last episode (without medicine).
Sore Throat
- A minor sore throat is usually not a problem, but a severe sore throat could be strep throat even if there is no fever. Other symptoms of strep throat in children are headache and stomach upset. Keep your child home from school, and contact a doctor. Your child needs a special test to determine if it is strep throat. He or she can return to school 24 hours after antibiotic treatment begins.
Flu
- All of the above are also symptoms of the flu. It is never too late to get vaccinated against influenza. Influenza vaccination can still provide protection against influenza as influenza viruses can circulate as late as May. For more information on the flu please visit the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/flu
Earache
- Your child needs to see a doctor when complaining of an earache.
Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis)– redness/drainage from eye(s)
- Pink eye is highly contagious. Most cases are caused by a virus, which will not respond to an antibiotic. Bacterial conjunctivitis will require an antibiotic; your doctor will be able to determine if this is the case. Your child must be on medication at least 24 hours before returning to school and/or no longer experience drainage from the eye(s).
Rash
- Children with an unexplained skin rash should see a doctor, as this could be one of several infectious diseases. If your child is sent home with a rash, he/she will need a physician’s note to return to school.