Brookline High School
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Health Services Frequently Asked Questions

When to keep your child home: Cold/Cough, Fever, Vomiting and/or Diarrhea, Taking Medication

Parents frequently ask for guidelines for when it is advisable to keep their children home from school. The guidelines are provided so that your child can return to optimal health and also to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. In general for:

COLD/COUGH (Upper Respiratory Illness): If your child has a runny nose and frequent sneezing and coughing, keep your child home until these symptoms lessen, usually 24 to 48 hours. This is when the illness is most contagious and your child may not be able to attend to school work. Children with mild cold symptoms may attend school.

FEVER: If your child has a temperature of 100 degrees or greater (without fever reducing medication), keep your child home until 24 hours of a sustained temperature normal temperature.

VOMITING AND/OR DIARRHEA: If your child has vomiting or diarrhea, keep your child home until 24 hours after the last episode.

TAKING MEDICATION: When your primary care provider prescribes antibiotics for Strep Throat Bacterial Conjunctivitis Impetigo or other bacterial illness that is communicable keep your child at home until s/he has taken at least 24 hours of medication. Call the school nurse before your child returns to school. If your child needs to take antibiotics more than three times per day, they may be given in school. Follow the Guidelines for the Administration of Medications at School


When to keep your child home: Chicken Pox, Whooping Cough, Rash, Skin Fungus

Parents frequently ask for guidelines for when it is advisable to keep their children home from school. The guidelines are provided so that your child can return to optimal health and also to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. In general for:

CHICKEN POX (Varicella): Vaccinated children have a low incidence of contracting "break- through" chicken pox. However if your child develops a rash with blisters, a case of chicken pox should be ruled out. Notify your primary care provider and your school nurse. For a suspected case of chicken pox, keep your child home until all the scabs are crusted over and dry.

WHOOPING COUGH (Pertussis): Children ages 11-18, who have not had a Tdap booster, have waning immunity to whooping cough. If your child has a cough associated with vomiting, keep your child home and consult your primary care provider and notify your school nurse.

RASH: If your child has a rash, keep your child home. Call your child's primary care provider for diagnosis and treatment if indicated and inform the school nurse.

SKIN FUNGUS: If your child has a skin fungus (ringworm), keep your child home and contact your primary care provider. Your child may return to school if the ringworm is small and in a covered area. For exposed ringworm, your child may return to school after 24 hours of using the recommended medication.


If your child suffers from seasonal allergies, (runny nose, itchy, watery eyes, sneezing or congestion)

please consult with your health care provider now for appropriate treatment. Many students benefit from medications and/or eye drops which can be given at home in the evening or morning. These may be prescription or over the counter medications. These are not stocked in the school clinics. If your child will need allergy medication at school, you and your doctor must fill out a medication authorization form and submit it along with the medication to your school nurse. Benadryl should not be considered a standard allergy treatment. Students who receive Benadryl will need to be taken home for rest/observation. Other measures that help are to wash hands well when coming in from outdoors after recess or play, to shower in the evening before bed and to keep windows shut at night.


Tick Prevention and Care

Ticks can be found in grassy areas at school or home. It is recommended that parents check their children daily for the presence of ticks. If a tick is found it can be removed using tweezers. To treat, wash well with soap and water and apply an antibacterial ointment. If a rash (“bulls eye” rash) or fever, joint paint, weakness, or other signs of illness occur after a tick bite, contact your health care provider. CDC Information on Tick Control http://www.cdc.gov/features/stopticks/

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