Our schools provide opportunities not only for learning but also for the acquisition of infections! Most of these are minor and are respiratory in nature, with a few stomach and intestinal germs thrown in for good measure.
With parents struggling to balance work responsibilities with the prospect of keeping a child home from school, we thought some guidelines might be helpful. Schools and daycare centers may have individual policies on child illness, and these may be the guidelines that will most influence your decision on when to keep your child home. In addition, many schools and daycare centers will not dispense any medication to your child without your written permission.
The following is a list of symptoms that may mean an illness is contagious, or that your child should stay home:
- a fever (100.4 or higher) within the last 24 hours or temperature above 99.6 the morning of school
- recurrent vomiting, loose stools, or significant abdominal pain within the last 24 hours
- a new cough
- a sore throat
- a new rash
- loss of taste or smell
- a child who feels too ill or fatigued to go to school
If your child develops any of these symptoms please call our office 617-361-1470 so we can determine the best course of action.