Exclusion Periods For Infectious Diseases
The spread of certain infectious diseases can be reduced by excluding children or educators, known to be infectious, from contact with others who are at risk of catching the infection. The following information details the recommended exclusion periods for infectious diseases. These are based on how long a child/educator with a specific disease is likely to be infectious and to be excluded from the service until they have passed the exclusion period and well enough to return.
Exclusion Periods
Child care regulations in each State and Territory require exclusion of children and employees from the centre whilst infectious with a significant, acute illness.
The need for exclusion depends on:
- the ease with which the infection can be spread
- the ability of the infected person to follow hygiene precautions
- whether or not the person has some immunity to the infection (either from vaccination or past infection)
- to a lesser extent, the severity of the disease
Recommended Exclusion Periods
The following table represents the recommended exclusion periods. These are based on how long a child/educator with a specific disease is likely to be infectious. These are the minimum exclusion periods – child/educator may need to stay home for longer until they are well enough to return to the service. The recommendation ‘Not excluded’ means that there is not a significant risk of spreading the infection to others, and exclusion is not necessary:
