ILLNESS, INCUBATION AND EXCLUSION POLICY
Written By
Odette Morgan
Date
19/01/2011
Review Date
May 2011
31/10/2012
Reviewed By
CCC
OM/KB
Amendments
June 2011
30/07/2013
The Policy is available at each Childrens Centre Hub and at all Outreach Play Sessions for
all Parents/Carers to read. .
If further advice or help is needed by parents or staff regarding any matter pertaining to
infectious diseases then their GP or Health Visitors/School Nurse should be contacted.
If you child is unwell, please keep them away from any Children’s Centre sessions to
discourage spreading of illness and to limit any unnecessary discomfort for the child too.
The following are commonly used Early Years Guidelines to inform parents of incubation
and exclusion periods for illnesses and the common infectious diseases.
DISEASE
USUAL
INCUBATION
(DAYS)
INTERVAL
BETWEEN ONSET
OF ILLNESS AND
APPEARANCE OF
RASH (DAYS)
MINIMUM PERIOD OF EXCLUSION
PROVIDED CHILD APPEARS WELL
PATIENTS
FAMILY
Sickness
-
Until 48 hours after cessation of
sickness/vomiting.
Diarrhoea
-
Until 48 hours after cessation of
diarrhoea.
7 days from
There is no routine
appearance of
exclusion of
rash; all the spots
contacts for any of
to be scabbed over these infectious
and dry. The child
diseases but
must be well
individual children
enough for
may be excluded
attendance at Pre- on the advice of a
School.
Medical
Practitioner.
Until clinical recovery and symptoms
have ceased and child is feeling well.
Chicken Pox
Hand, Foot &
Mouth Disease
Policy 19
10-21
0-2
3-5
3-7
1
Threadworm
Verrucae
Until adequate treatment instituted.
Exclusion from barefoot activities until
certified free from infection.
Head Lice
Until treatment has been carried out
successfully.
Slapped Cheek
Syndrome
Conjunctivitis
Molluscum
Contagiosum
4-22
-
No needs for exclusion. Physical
symptoms are not usually present during
the contagious stages of the virus.
-
-
Until clinical recovery.
14-50
No need for exclusion
Athlete’s Foot
Exclusion from barefoot activities until
certified free from infection.
Ringworm of
Scalp or Body
Until adequate treatment instituted
provided lesions are covered.
Scabies
Impetigo
Whooping
Cough
Food Poisoning
Until adequate treatment instituted.
Until lesions are crusted or healed.
5-14
-
0-2
-
Dysentery
1-7
-
German
Measles
Jaundice
Meningitis
Bacterial
Viral
14-21
0-2
14-42
-
Until clinical recovery.
2-10
0-21
-
Until clinical recovery and bacteriological
examination is clear.
Mumps
Measles
Scarlet Fever
12-28
7-21
1-4
3-5
1-2
Policy 19
2
Until clinical recovery.
Until declared fit.
Until 48 hours
after cessation of
diarrhoea.
There is no routine
exclusion of
contacts for any of
these infectious
diseases but
individual children
may be excluded on
the advice of a
Medical Practitioner.
Until clinical recovery.
Until clinical recovery.
Until clinical recovery.
Until clinical recovery.
Swine Flu
Policy 19
-
-
3
If you or your child have flu-like
symptoms such as a sudden fever,
cough, a headache, sore throat,
tiredness, aching muscles, sneezing,
runny nose or loss of appetite please do
not attend the Children’s Centre and
follow the current Government
guidelines.
Please remember to notify us if you or
your child is diagnosed with swine flu
and they must stay at home until they
have fully recovered and are free of
symptoms.