Guidance on Infection Control in Schools and other Child Care Settings

It gives guidance on the most common infectious diseases and the recommended periods for which children should be kept away from school or nursery.

Taking preventative measures such as vaccinating children and following good hygiene practice are the best ways to prevent the spread of infections.

Hard copies of this publication can be requested from your local health protection unit.

Further information/sources

Bonnet JM, Begg NT. Control of diphtheria: guidance for consultants in communicable disease control. Commun Dis Public Health 1999; 2 (4): 242-9. Available at http://www.hpa.org.uk/cdph/issues/CDPHVol2/no4/guidelines.pdf.

Chief Medical Officer, Chief Nursing Officer, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, Chief Medical Officer. Important changes to the childhood immunisation programme. Letter PL/CMO/2006/1. London: Department of Health, 2006. Available at http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/LettersAndCirculars/ProfessionalLetters
/ChiefMedicalOfficerLetters/ChiefMedicalOfficerLettersArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4137171&chk=vpwQzv.

Hawker J, Begg N, Blair I, Reintjes R, Weinberg J. Communicable disease control handbook. 2nd ed. Oxford : Blackwell Science, 2005.

Heyman D. Control of communicable diseases manual. 18th ed. Washington DC: American Association of Public Health, 2004.

Guidelines for preventing healthcare associated infection in primary care and community care in England. London: National Institute for Clinical Excellence, 2003. Available at http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/CG2.

PHLS Advisory Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. Guidelines for control of Hepatitis A infection. Commun Dis Public Health 2001; 4 (3): 213-27. Available at http://www.hpa.org.uk/cdph/issues/CDPHVol4/no3/HepAguidelines0901.pdf.

Pool Water Treatment Advisory Group (PWTAG). Swimming Pool Water - Treatment and Quality Standards. Diss, Norfolk: PWTAG, 1999. ISBN 0 951 7007 66. Available at www.pwtag.org.

Working Group of former PHLS Advisory Committee on Gastrointestinal Infections. Preventing person to person spread following gastrointestinal infections: guidelines for public health physicians and environmental health officers. Comm Dis Public Health 2004: 7 (4): 362-84. Available at http://www.hpa.org.uk/cdph/issues/CDPHVol7/no4/guidelines2_4_04.pdf.

Prodigy Guidance [online]. Scabies. Extended information. [Accessed 12 December 2006]. Available at http://www.cks.library.nhs.uk/scabies/extended_information/management_issues.

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk

Frequently asked questions on influenza. Health Protection Agency website. London: HPA, 2005.

http://www.insectresearch.com - Ian Burgess Insect R and D Ltd (Personal communication) re scabies