7.3.3.2: Influenza Control

When influenza cases are reported in the community, early care and education programs should take measures to avoid an outbreak or further spread in the program.

Programs should:

• Temporarily exclude children/staff with symptoms of acute respiratory tract illness (e.g., cough, sore throat, sneezing, runny nose) along with fever.¹
  • Children and staff should stay home until fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.²
• Separate children who become ill from the other children until the ill child can be taken home.
• Record when children or staff is ill, including details about their symptoms (especially when influenza is verified through testing).

RATIONALE

Children/staff who have influenza symptoms can easily spread the disease to others. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that ill children and staff stay away from the early care and education program until they are fever-free without having taken fever-reducing medicine for 24 hours.^2–4 To decrease influenza transmission, contact with other children should be limited if a child becomes ill while attending the program. Programs should maintain records in accordance with local public health guidelines and communicate with families about influenza outbreaks in early care and education programs.

COMMENTS

Programs should maintain records in accordance with local public health guidelines and communicate with families about influenza outbreaks in early care and education programs.

TYPE OF FACILITY

Center, Early Head Start, Head Start, Large Family Child Care Home, Small Family Child Care Home

RELATED STANDARDS

3.6.1.1 Inclusion/Exclusion/Dismissal of Ill Children
7.3.3.1 Influenza Immunizations for Children and Staff
7.3.3.3 Influenza Prevention Education
9.2.4.4 Written Plan for Seasonal and Pandemic Influenza
9.4.2.1 Contents of Child’s Records

REFERENCES

1. American Academy of Pediatrics. Managing Infectious Diseases in Child Care and Schools: A Quick Reference Guide. Aronson SS, Shope TR, eds. 5th ed. Itasca, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics; 2020

2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Treatment: What you need to know. CDC.gov Web site. Last reviewed August 31, 2021. Accessed November 3, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/treatment/treatment.htm

3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Information for schools & childcare providers. CDC.gov Web site. Last reviewed October 15, 2021. Accessed November 3 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/school/index.htm?web=1&wdLOR=cD384314D-FBBA-8543-9B5D-485815343038

4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Healthy habits to protect against flu. CDC.gov Web site. Last reviewed August 26, 2021. Accessed November 3, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/actions-prevent-flu.htm

NOTES

Content in the STANDARD was modified on 02/25/2022.