Chicken Pox Exclusion

[Guest]

What is your exclusion period for chicken pox, and how did you arrive at that timeframe? Think daughters school is wrong, but need to check what is the "norm" first.

 

Mine is at least 6 days and scabs all crusted over and child feeling well enough.

[Cait]

I'm pretty sure the poster says 'five days from onset of rash'. That's what we went with last term, anyway

[Guest]

Yes, I just checked (read on internet contagious for 6 days).

 

I will reveal school policy later.

[louby loo]

If you look on the HPA website they say no exclusion!

Don't quote me though, as I'm on the wrong lappy to look it up now. We have still said 5 days after last 'scabbing' and we would argue our case by saying we have free access to sand which could cause irritation if it gets into open scabs.

 

Just looked it up and I'm wrong!!! However I think I was thinking five days from 'onset' rather than last pox appreance.

Edited April 27, 2011 by louby loo

[Fredbear]

Hi the HPA poster for infections for schools, childcare settings and childminders with exclusion periods and whether it is a notifiable disease states 5 days from the onset of the rash, obviously subject to the children being well and scabs dry.

Hope this helps.

Edited April 27, 2011 by bridger

[Deb]

That's my understanding too Bridger.

[Guest]

yes we too say until all blisters have scabbed over and that scabs have dried and no longer weeping

[Guest]

The HPA doesn't mention scabs at all, but I can see that EY settings contain many things that would irritate open/ weepy blisters. I also get the fact that while children may no longer be contagious after 5 days, they may feel unwell for longer and they shouldn't go back until they are up to it.

 

Does anyone exclude for longer? Need to get a feel for whether school or I am being ridiculous.

[Cait]

Well all cases are different. My son was very uncomfortable with his and was covered from head to toe, so 5 days wouldn't have been long enough for him. Children are already infectious before the spots appear, so the 'damage is done' by the time the spots come out. I'd advise to take each one case by case, but say a minimum of 5 days from the onset of the rash, unless fresh spots are still appearing 3 or 4 days into the rash, in which case they'll be still weepy after the 5 days

[Guest]

What the school have said is that dd1 can't go back until all the scabs have gone from her face and hands. This is in case they fall off and upset other children, apparently. I asked if this meant no one could go in if they had a scab on their face and they said no, because a cut isn't contagious.

 

I am cross as this means keeping her off school for an extra week with nothing wrong with her, missing out on fun and learning. Never mind that this has come after the Easter break so by the time she gets back to Nursery she will be completely out of the rountine of going.

[Guest]

We say until the scabs are dry and if the child is fit and well. I have never had a child worry about scabs coming off!! parents maybe. its the fluid in the blister that is contagious so once they are dry there is no cause to keep a child away unless they are still feeling unwell. As said before each child is different I had one son covered head to foot asnd really ill the other had quite alot of spots but felt fine most of the time. Each child is different even with illnesses lol

[Guest]

My daughter had chicken pox for the 2nd time on new years eve. Our Dr said the incubation period was 11 days from onset so she had to stay in etc till after then.

 

I can understand your frustrations as she missed a week if schooling after Xmas and the first time round was when she was in yr 2 (she's yr 8 at secondary currently) and again they came out on the last day so she had a month off in total and was perfectly fine in herself.

 

Good luck with your decision there's so many different views.

Vicky

[Fredbear]

Hi lolo although it doesn't state scabs being dry on the poster on another HPA guidance it does, a little confusing.

My understanding and i might be wrong is to ensure the children maynot become infected if they still have open sores.

The contagious period is before you are aware they even have it.

As we know with chicken pox some children/ adults can be quite ill with secondary infections, and is also dangerous for some with low immune systems or expectant mothers.

You can ring HPA for guidance they are very helpful.

[Guest]

I am happy to wait until scabs dry, and obviously until she feels better, but to wait until scabs gone seems ridiculous.

[sunnyday]

I am happy to wait until scabs dry, and obviously until she feels better, but to wait until scabs gone seems ridiculous.

Absolutely ....... that could take weeks

[Fredbear]

That seems ridiculous and common sense should prevail, but alas as we know this isn't always the case.

Has the school a policy you could see.

Hope they get better really soon.

[Deb]

I am happy to wait until scabs dry, and obviously until she feels better, but to wait until scabs gone seems ridiculous.

 

Is there any chance this could be a simple miscommunication? One person's gone being another person's dried up?

[Inge]

'in years gone by' the advice was until all scabs have gone completely... as it was believed that when the scabs came off they could still be contagious if the skin underneath was not dry.... could be just an out of date policy or someone not up to date with their knowledge..

 

(showing my age a bit here!)

 

as it is contagious before the rash appears and incubation is 2 weeks we could time outbreaks of children off .. always in 2 week cycles... virtually to the day..

 

Then there were the chicken pox parties we used to hold.. always remember when my son had them we had a house full of children for the week he was off.. summer and it was hot so we had a paddling pool out with bicarb in the water where they all played together!

[Guest]

I will be asking for the policy, and probably phoning some other schools too.

 

They did offer me the chance to speak with the Welfare Officer.

[Guest]

gosh, that does seem extreme! My son had the pox starting Easter Saturday, and still has scabs!!

 

Also agree with the lady who said it can take more that 5days to feel better. My other 2 boys took 8 days to get over it (although obviously were still scabby)

 

I wonder what my sons school policy on this is?!

[Guest]

The HPA doesn't mention scabs at all, but I can see that EY settings contain many things that would irritate open/ weepy blisters. I also get the fact that while children may no longer be contagious after 5 days, they may feel unwell for longer and they shouldn't go back until they are up to it.

 

Does anyone exclude for longer? Need to get a feel for whether school or I am being ridiculous.

 

Yes we exclude for ten days from onset. We had a discussion with a parent about another illness and the exclusion time and contacted Ofsted to clarify. Their answer was that if thats what was in our policy then that is the exclusion time we enforce, regardless of the recommended time. We also exclude for the entire course of antibiotics not just for 48 hours

[Guest]

Can I ask why 10 days? My own daughters needed about this much time off as they were quite illl, but my friends son was ready even before the 5 day exclusion. I find it hard to understand why settings would deny healthy children their right to access learning?