school exclusion table
- The Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2009 contain several statutory obligations relating to school exclusions for infectious diseases.
- Exclusions may apply to cases, case contacts or both.
- The exclusion periods are the minimum times a child must be excluded from school or childcare.
Medical |
Exclusions of cases |
Exclusion of contacts |
| Amoebiasis (Entamoeba histolytica) | Exclude until there has not been a loose bowel motion for 24 hours | Not excluded |
| Campylobacter | Exclude until there has not been a loose bowel motion for 24 hours | Not excluded |
| Chickenpox | Exclude until all blisters have dried. This is usually at least 5 days after the rash appears in unimmunised children, but may be less in previously immunised children | Any child with an immune deficiency (for example, leukaemia) or receiving chemotherapy should be excluded for their own protection. Otherwise not excluded. |
| Conjunctivitis | Exclude until discharge from eyes has ceased | Not excluded |
| Diarrhoea | Exclude until there has not been a loose bowel motion for 24 hours | Not excluded |
| Diphtheria | Exclude until a medical certificate of recovery is received following at least two negative throat swabs, the first not less than 24 hours after finishing a course of antibiotics and the other 48 hours later | Exclude family/household contacts until cleared to return by the Secretary |
| Hand, foot and mouth disease | Exclude until all blisters have dried | Not excluded |
| Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) | Exclude until at least 4 days of appropriate antibiotic treatment has been completed | Not excluded |
| Hepatitis A | Exclude until a medical certificate of recovery is received, but not before 7 days after the onset of jaundice or illness | Not excluded |
| Hepatitis B | Exclusion is not necessary | Not excluded |
| Hepatitis C | Exclusion is not necessary | Not excluded |
| Herpes (cold sores) | oung children unable to comply with good hygiene practices should be excluded while the lesion is weeping. Lesions to be covered by a dressing, where possible | Not excluded |
| Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection | Exclusion is not necessary | Not excluded |
| Impetigo | Exclude until appropriate treatment has commenced. Sores on exposed surfaces must be covered with a watertight dressing | Not excluded |
| Influenza and influenza-like illnesses | Exclude until well | Not excluded unless considered necessary by the Secretary |
| Leprosy | Exclude until approval to return has been given by the Secretary | Not excluded |
| Measles* | Exclude for at least 4 days after onset of rash | Immunised contacts not excluded. Unimmunised contacts should be excluded until 14 days after the first day of appearance of rash in the last case. If unimmunised contacts are vaccinated within 72 hours of their first contact with the first case, or received normal human immunoglobulin within 6 days of exposure, they may return to the facility |
| Meningitis (bacteria, other than meningococcal meningitis) | Exclude until well | Not excluded |
| Meningococcal infection* | Exclude until adequate carrier eradication therapy has been completed | Not excluded if receiving carrier eradication therapy |
| Mumps* | Exclude for 9 days or until swelling goes down (whichever is sooner) | Not excluded |
| Pertussis (whooping cough) | Exclude for 21 days after the onset of cough or until they have completed 5 days of a course of antibiotic treatment | Contacts aged less than 7 years in the same room as the case who have not received three effective doses of pertussis vaccine should be excluded for 14 days after the last exposure to the infectious case, or until they have taken 5 days of a course of effective antibiotic treatment |
| Poliomyelitis | Exclude for at least 14 days from onset. Re-admit after receiving medical certificate of recovery | Not excluded |
| Ringworm, scabies, pediculosis (head lice) | Exclude until the day after appropriate treatment has commenced | Not excluded |
| Salmonella or Shigella infection | Exclude until there has not been a loose bowel motion for 24 hours | Not excluded |
| Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) | Exclude until a medical certificate of recovery is produced | Not excluded unless considered necessary by the Secretary |
| Streptococcal infection (including scarlet fever) | Exclude until the child has received antibiotic treatment for at least 24 hours and feels well | Not excluded |
| Tuberculosis | Exclude until a medical certificate is received from the treating physician stating that the child is not considered to be infectious | Not excluded |
| Typhoid fever (including paratyphoid fever) | Exclude until approval to return has been given by the Secretary | Not excluded unless considered necessary by the Secretary |
| Verotoxin-producing E. coli (VTEC) | Exclude until there has not been a loose bowel motion for 24 hours | Not excluded |
* Vaccine-preventable disease
Note: In this schedule, ‘medical certificate’ means a certificate of a registered medical practitioner.