Department of Health

Key messages

  • The Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019External Link contain several statutory obligations relating to primary schools and children’s services exclusions for infectious diseases.
  • There have been some minor updates to the diseases and exclusion periods in the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019.
  • Exclusions may apply to cases (children with particular infections) and contacts (children who have been exposed to particular infections).
  • The exclusion periods are the minimum times a child must be excluded from primary school or a children’s service such as childcare centre or kindergarten.
  • Children’s services describes the terms ‘education and care service premises or children’s services centre’ used in the regulations. It includes centres such as childcare centres and kindergartens.

Exclusion periods table

The minimum period of exclusion from primary schools and children's services for infectious diseases cases and contacts (Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019, Schedule 7)

Conditions Exclusion of cases Exclusion of contacts
Chickenpox Exclude until all blisters have dried. This is usually at least 5 days after the rash appears in unimmunised children, but may be less in previously immunised children Any child with an immune deficiency (for example, leukaemia) or receiving chemotherapy should be excluded for their own protection. Otherwise not excluded

Conjunctivitis

Exclude until discharge from eyes has ceased

Not excluded

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection

Exclusion is not necessary

Not excluded

Diarrhoeal illness

In an outbreak of gastroenteritis, exclude until there has not been vomiting or a loose bowel motion for 48 hours, and for all other diarrhoeal illnesses exclude until there has not been vomiting or a lose bowel motion for 24 hours

Not excluded

Diphtheria

Exclude until medical certificate of recovery is received following at least two negative throat swabs, the first not less than 24 hours after finishing a course of antibiotics and the other 48 hours later

Exclude family/household contacts until cleared to return by the Chief Health Officer

Glandular fever
(Epstein-Barr Virus infection)

Exclusion is not necessary

Not excluded

Hand, Foot and Mouth disease

Exclude until all blisters have dried

Not excluded

Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)

Exclude until 48 hours after initiation of effective therapy

Not excluded

Hepatitis A

Exclude until a medical certificate of recovery is received, but not before 7 days after the onset of jaundice or illness

Not excluded

Hepatitis B

Exclusion is not necessary

Not excluded

Hepatitis C

Exclusion is not necessary

Not excluded

Herpes (cold sores)

Young children unable to comply with good hygiene practices should be excluded while the lesion is weeping. Lesions to be covered by dressing, where possible

Not excluded

Human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV)

Exclusion is not necessary

Not excluded

Impetigo

Exclude until appropriate treatment has commenced. Sores on exposed surfaces must be covered with a watertight dressing

Not excluded

Influenza and influenza like illnesses

Exclude until well

Not excluded unless considered necessary by the Chief Health Officer

Leprosy

Exclude until approval to return has been given by the Chief Health Officer

Not excluded

Measles

Exclude for at least 4 days after onset of rash

Immunised contacts not excluded. Unimmunised contacts should be excluded until 14 days after the first day of appearance of rash in the last case. If unimmunised contacts are vaccinated within 72 hours of exposure with any infectious case, or received Normal Human Immunoglobulin (NHIG) within 144 hours of exposure of any infectious case, they may return to the facility

Meningitis (bacterial other than meningococcal meningitis)

Exclude until well

Not excluded

Meningococcal infection

Exclude until adequate carrier eradication therapy has been completed

Not excluded if receiving carrier eradication therapy

Mumps

Exclude for 5 days or until swelling goes down (whichever is sooner)

Not excluded

Molluscum contagiosum

Exclusion is not necessary

Not excluded

Pertussis (Whooping cough)

Exclude the child for 21 days after the onset of cough or until they have completed 5 days of a course of antibiotic treatment

Contacts aged less than 7 years in the same room as the case who have not received three effective doses of pertussis vaccine should be excluded for 14 days after the last exposure to the infectious case, or until they have taken 5 days of a course of effective antibiotic treatment

Poliovirus infection

Exclude for at least 14 days from onset. Re admit after receiving medical certificate of recovery

Not excluded

Ringworm, scabies, pediculosis (head lice) Exclude until the day after appropriate treatment has commenced Not excluded

Rubella (German measles)

Exclude until fully recovered or for at least four days after the onset of rash

Not excluded

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Exclude until medical certificate of recovery is produced

Not excluded unless considered necessary by the Chief Health Officer

Shiga toxin or Verotoxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC or VTEC)

Exclude if required by the Chief Health Officer and only for the period specified by the Chief Health Officer

Not excluded

Streptococcal infection
(including scarlet fever)

Exclude until the child has received antibiotic treatment for at least 24 hours and the child feels well Not excluded

Tuberculosis (excluding latent tuberculosis)

Exclude until receipt of a medical certificate from the treating physician stating that the child is not considered to be infectious Not excluded

Typhoid fever (including paratyphoid fever)

Exclude until approval to return has been given by the Chief Health Officer

Not excluded unless considered necessary by the Chief Health Officer

Explanatory notes

  • Diarrhoeal illness includes instances where certain pathogens are identified including Amebiasis (Entamoeba histolytica), Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp., Shigella spp. and intestinal worms, but is not limited to infection with these pathogens.
  • ‘Medical certificate’ means a certificate of a registered medical practitioner.
  • Exclusion of cases and contacts is not necessary for latent tuberculosis.

Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019 (regulation 111)

On 14 December 2019, the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019External Link replaced the previously existing regulations.

The updated exclusion requirements for cases and contacts are found in Schedule 7 of the regulations and are reproduced below.

If you are in charge of a primary school or children's service, you must not allow a child to attend your primary school or children's service either:

  • as specified in column 3 (‘Exclusion of cases’) of the table in Schedule 7 if you have been informed that the child is infected with an infectious disease listed in column 2 (‘Condition’) of the table, or
  • as specified in column 4 (‘Exclusion of contacts’) of the table in Schedule 7 if you have been informed that the child has been in contact with a person who is infected with an infectious disease listed in column 2 (‘Condition’) of the table.

A parent or guardian must also inform the person in charge of the primary school or children's service their child attends if the child is infected with an infectious disease/condition listed in the regulations.

A person in charge of a primary school must also keep a record of immunisation certificates for all children at the primary school and must allow authorised officers access to immunisation certificates.

For the purposes of immunisation coordination and services, a person in charge of a secondary school may disclose certain student information to a council upon request.

The Chief Health Officer may occasionally identify that a child is at material risk of contracting a vaccine-preventable disease. As a result, Chief Health Officer may direct a person in charge of a primary school or children's service to exclude that child. The Chief Health Officer will then direct when attendance can be resumed.

More information

For more information on excluding an unwell child and what to do, see Exclusion periods for primary schools and children's services.

Reviewed 05 June 2023

Health.vic

Contact us

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Communicable Disease Section Department of Health GPO Box 4057, Melbourne, VIC 3000

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