The Hermiston School District wants to remind families that the flu season is in full swing this winter. To protect their student and others, good hand hygiene should be practiced. Hands should be washed with soap and water frequently to help prevent the spread of illness.
If you have an ill student, please refer to the following criteria to know when students should be kept at home:
- Fever greater than 100.5°F; (stay home until fever free for 24 hours);
- Vomiting (stay at home until vomiting has stopped for 24 hours);
- Stiff neck or headache with fever;
- Any rash with or without fever;
- Unusual behavior change, such as irritability, sleepiness/fatigue;
- Jaundice (yellow color of skin or eyes);
- Diarrhea (stay home until diarrhea has stopped for 24 hours);
- Skin lesions that are “weepy” (fluid or pus-filled);
- Colored drainage from eyes;
- Brown/green drainage from nose with fever greater than 105 F;
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath;
- Serious, sustained cough;
- Symptoms or complaints that prevent the student from participating in his/her usual school activities, such as a persistent cough, with or without presence of fever;
- A need for care that is greater than school staff can safely provide.
If a student becomes ill at school and the teacher or school nurse feels that the child is too sick to benefit from being in school or might be contagious to other children, the parent will be called to pick up the student from school. It is important that the school is informed any time there is a change in a daytime or emergency phone number; so parents or guardians can be easily reached.
If your child is showing some of the symptoms above or if your child is recovering from the flu and you are not sure when your child can go back to school, ask your healthcare provider.
