An updated poster from the NT Centre for Disease Control gives child care centres, schools and preschools a list of all infectious diseases and their exclusion periods from school and childcare for children and staff.
The exclusion periods are based on National Health and Medical Research Guidelines and also apply to children who may have come into contact with an infected child.
NT Department of Health and Families Project Research Officer Lesley Scott said it's a practical tool for medical practitioners, schools, childcare centres and concerned parents.
'If you have a child with diarrhoea, for example, the advice on the poster is that your child should stay away from school and child care until they have not had a loose bowel action for 24 hours'.
"On the other hand, an infection such as measles will require the child to be excluded from other children for at least four days after the onset of the rash and both medical practitioners and child care centres should urgently notify the Centre for Disease Control.
"We get a lot of calls from parents asking if their child should be at school or not.
"The poster is an excellent resource with all the information you need when you have a child with an infectious disease and you want to know if he or she needs to stay home from school and for how long. It also tells you what to look out for or do for other people who have been in contact with them and may be at risk of the same infection," Ms Scott said.
The poster is being sent to all schools, childcare & family day care centres and General Practitioners.
It is also available for free download at...
Media Contact: Cameron Jackson 0401 116 144
Release date: 5 December 2008
