When Should Your Child Stay Home From School?
Any student exhibiting the following should not attend school: fever, diarrhea, vomiting, rash with fever, suspected Strep, suspected chicken pox or drainage from the eyes other suspicious skin lesion.
During flu season, if your child has the following symptoms, you should suspect that it is the flu: fever, sore throat, cough.
The following are guidelines to help you care for your child if he/she exhibits flu-like symptoms:
Children over 4 years and adults should be kept at home from school or work until they have not had a temperature for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication. Children under 5 years should be kept home for seven (7) days or until they have not had a temperature for 24 hours, whichever is longer.
Manage their symptoms at home by following these recommendations:
Drink plenty of fluids
Get plenty of rest
Use fever reducing medications such as Tylenol or Ibuprofen.
DO NOT GIVE ASPIRIN.
Some indications your child may need additional medical attention includes, but is not limited to, the following:
Fast or troubled breathing
Bluish or gray color
Not drinking enough fluids
Severe or persistent vomiting
Flu symptoms improve but then return with fever and cough
Students diagnosed or suspected to have any of the following communicable diseases should be excluded from the school setting until treatment has been started: ► Impetigo ► Scabies ► Ringworm ► Conjunctivitis
For more information contact your child’s physician or the Mercer County Health Department
