Illness
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Symptoms
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Vaccine Available?
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Should they stay at home?
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Conjunctivitis or ‘Pink Eye’
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Redness and swelling of the outer layer of the eye and inside the eyelid. It can also cause sore and watery eyes with pus.
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No
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Yes, until discharge from the eye has stopped – unless otherwise directed by your doctor.
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Strep Throat
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Bacterial infection of the throat. Symptoms include severe throat pain, trouble swallowing, fever and swollen lymph nodes
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No
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Yes, the child is contagious until 24 hours after the first dose of antibiotic is taken.
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Common Cold
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Coughing, low grade fever, sore throat, sneezing and blocked or runny nose.
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No
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No, there is no need to exclude a child with the common cold.
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Whooping Cough or ‘pertussis’
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Usually begins with a persistent dry cough that progresses to intense bouts of coughing, including a ‘whooping’ noise as the child breathes in.
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Yes
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Yes, for 5 days after the first dose of antibiotics
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Hand Foot and Mouth Disease
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A fever and tiny blisters on the cheeks and gums, inside the mouth and on the hands and feet.
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No
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Yes, until blisters have dried.
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Chicken Pox
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Mild fever and a rash of red, itchy patches. These turn into fluid-filled blisters before crusting to form scabs.
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Yes
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Yes, until all blisters have dried which is usually around 5 days after the rash first appeared.
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Diarrhoea
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Loose watery stools that occur more than 3 times in 1 day.
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No
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Yes, until they have not had a loose bowel motion or other symptoms for 24 hours and if there is no cause identified. May require 48 hours until cause identified.
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Influenza
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The ‘Flu’ symptoms cause high fever, dry cough, muscle ache and fatigue
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Yes
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Yes, until they are well
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Measles
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Fever, cough, feeling tired, sore throat, runny nose, discomfort at light and sore watery eyes. A rash will appear after 3-4 days. The spots are red and slightly raised.
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Yes
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Yes, from the onset of symptoms to 4 days after the rash appears
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Mumps
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Mumps cause painful swellings on the side of the face under the ears. Can cause headaches, joint pain and a high temperature.
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Yes
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Yes, for 9 days or until the swelling goes down, whichever is sooner.
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