HEALTH ALERT
CENTER _______________________________
DATE______________
Dear Parent: Your child may have been exposed to one of the illnesses or infestations checked below on
___________(date). This does not mean that your child has the illness or infestation, but that your
child may have been exposed. Please read that section and follow the directions. If you are pregnant, call
your doctor for more information regarding exposure.
Early Signs of Infection and/or Infestation
IMPETIGO – Onset varies. Symptoms: Golden crusty sores or pimple like spots develop watery heads, break, and
form crusted areas; may occur on hands, legs, feet, or buttocks. Spreads rapidly if untreated. Consult your physicians.
Do not bring your child to group care until the day after treatment begins.
HEAD LICE – For 2 weeks after exposure, observe your child’s hair and scalp at the neckline and around the ears for
eggs or nits (tiny, pearly white egg shaped objects) that stick slightly to hair shafts. (Your child may also complain of
an itchy head.) Consult your physician or pharmacist for treatment. Your child CANNOT return to Head Start without
a Health Department or physician’s release form.
RINGWORM - Onset varies. Symptoms: (scalp) bald, oval shapes on scalp; grayish scales; broken hair; itching;
(body) rounded reddish area with a scaly or blister border, often itchy. Do not bring your child to group care until the
day after treatment begins. Be cautious of sharing items that come in contact with the head.
CONGUNCTIVITIS (Pinkeye) – Onset is 24 to 62 hours after infection. Symptoms: irritated, tearing eye; swollen lids
and yellow mucous discharge that makes the eyes sticky. Very contagious if the conjunction is caused by infection,
children under 5 are most susceptible. Consult your physician. Do not bring your child to group care until the day after
treatment begins.
SCABIES - Onset 4-6 weeks. Recurrences 2-5 days. Itching skin with irritation between fingers and wrists or body.
(Marks may appear as red or black pin size openings.) Consult doctor or pharmacy for treatment. Usually lasts less than
2 weeks. Do not bring your child to group care until itch, mites, and eggs are destroyed.
All illness below must be forward to the Health Program Specialist immediately
AND a Serious Occurrence completed (required by Child Care Licensing 15.4.g.3)
MUMPS – Onset is 14 to 26 days after exposure. Symptoms: Pain in the cheeks, which is increased by chewing;
swelling over the jaw and in front of the ear. Do not bring your child to group care until all swelling has disappeared or
9 days after swelling appears.
CHICKENPOX – Onset is 2 to 3 weeks after exposure. Symptoms: Slight fever and irritability for 1 day, and fine
blisters on the trunk and face. Your child is contagious for up to 5 days. Do not bring your child to group care for 5
days after the rash appears or until all scabs dry, whichever is first.
STREP (including Scarlet Fever and Strep Sore Throat) – Onset is 2 to 5 days after exposure. Symptoms: Sore throat,
fever, and occasionally a rash. Consult your physician.
GERMAN MEALSES (Rubella) – Onset is 2 to 3 weeks after exposure. Symptoms: Slight head cold, swollen glands
at the back of the neck, and a changeable rash that goes away in 2 to 3 days. KEEP YOUR CHILD AWAY FROM
WOMEN WHO ARE IN THE FIRST 3 MONTHS OF PREGNANCY. Do not bring your child to group care for 7 days
after the rash begins.
MEASLES (Rubeola) - Onset is 1 to 2 weeks after exposure. Symptoms: Runny nose, watery eyes, fever (may be quite
high), and a cough; a blotchy rash appears about the fourth day. Do not bring your child to group care for 4 days after
the appearance of the rash or until he/she is well.
H1N1 Flu – Symptoms can be the same as the seasonal flu, such as, a fever or felling feverish/chills, cough, sore throat,
runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue. Do not bring your child to group until at least 24 hours
after they are free of a fever without having taken any medication that lower the fever.
MRSA – Symptoms pimples or boils and can be red, swollen, painful, warm or have drainage/pus. Consult your
physicians. Do not bring your child to group care if there is any pus or drainage. Do not bring your child to group care
until 24 hours after beginning treatment.
PERTUSSIS (Whooping cough) – Symptoms a “whoop” sound when gasping for air after a coughing spell with thick,
gluey mucous. Consult your physician. Do not bring your child to group care until after beginning treatment and
coughing is under control.
Other/Notes:
NCWVCAA HS/EHS
H018
Created 05-2001
Revised 03/19/2012
Instruction for Health Alert (form H018)
Each Children/County Service Supervisor must approve the health alerts being sent out.
If immediate supervisor is not available then contact Health Program Specialist or
designee for approval.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Complete center name and date
File out date that exposure might have happened
Post by all entry to center for 5 calendar days
Distribute to all families
For all illness/diagnosis below the line:
a) Complete above directions
b) Contact Health Program Specialist or designee within 24 hours
c) Write the name of the child and address for family, that was diagnosis, on the back of
the form
d) Forward completed form immediately to Health Program Specialist or designee
Serious Occurrence must be completed for all illnesses below the line on the Health
Alert. See Serious Occurrence Report Procedures.
Other/Notes:
1. This section is to be utilized in a situation where a Health Alert needs to be sent, but the
illness or infestation is not listed above. Additional information, from an approved
website may need to be attached to explain the illness or infestation in further detail for
better clarification.
a. Unless the Health Program Specialist advises otherwise, approved websites include:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov/
American Academy of Pediatrics: www.aap.org
Mayo Clinic: www.mayoclinic.com
WebMD: www.webmd.com
NCWVCAA HS/EHS
H018
Created 05-2001
Revised 03/19/2012