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Yankalilla Community Children’s Centre
IMMUNISATION AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES POLICY
The purpose of this policy is to manage and prevent the spread of infectious illnesses and diseases.
The Yankalilla Community Children’s Centre has a duty of care to ensure that all persons (children,
families, staff) are provided with a high level of protection during the hours of the service’s operation.
Protection will include:
 Notifying families and staff when an excludable illness or disease is present in the service.
 Maintaining records of children’s and staff immunisation status.
 Complying with “You’ve got What?” - 4th Edition 2009 exclusion guidelines
The centre aims to reduce the spread of illness and disease by implementing the following strategies:
 Promoting hand washing
 Identifying and excluding children and/or staff with an excludable infectious illness or disease
 Maintaining clean and hygienic environments
 Encouraging child and adult immunisations
 Laundering of bed linen, face washers etc
Hygiene and Infection Control
 Please refer to the service’s Hygiene and Infection Control policy
Immunisation:
Children
The most effective method of preventing certain infections is immunisation. Immunisation protects the
person who has been immunised, children who are too young to be immunised and other people who have
been vaccinated but did not respond to the vaccine. Children’s immunisation status is obtained at
enrolment. Children’s immunisation records are updated every 12 months (see attached form). We strongly
encourage parents to ensure their children are up to date with their immunisation, for the safety of
themselves, other children, parents and staff.
All families are notified when a case of an Immunisable illness has been confirmed.
In the event of an outbreak at the Centre of an infectious disease against which a child has not been
immunised or is not up to date with the recommended immunisation schedule, the child will be excluded
from the Centre. This is for their own protection and to minimise the chance of the disease spreading
further.
The centre maintains an annual record of outbreaks of Immunisable diseases.
Staff
The immunisation status of staff is obtained at their commencement at the centre.
Please refer to the service’s staff immunisation policy for more information.
Identifying symptoms of an excludable infectious illness and notifying families
The staff will be vigilant in identifying symptoms which may indicate an excludable infectious illness or
disease. Parents will be advised on enrolment that children who are unwell should stay home from
childcare or preschool.
If a child becomes ill while they are at the centre every effort will be made to contact the parent/guardian
or emergency contact people.
Parents will be contacted when a child:
 Has difficulty breathing
 Refuses to drink fluids
 Vomits
 Is coughing uncontrollably
 Complains of headaches, earache or has a discharging ear
 Needs to be comforted constantly – has no interest in play
 Has a fever (temperature of 38.5° or higher)
 Develops a rash
 Is pale and sleepy
 Diarrhoea - 3 loose bowel actions on the same day
Unwell children will be isolated as much as practical until the child is able to be collected. If medical
attention is required, children will be either taken to the Doctors surgery, or an ambulance called,
depending on the severity of the illness.
The centre will maintain a record of illnesses in the centre and a report form will be prepared for any child
asked to be collected from the centre due to symptoms of illness.
Infectious Diseases:
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For the safety of other children, sick children are not allowed to attend the centre.
Parent’s are required to notify the Director if their child has any contagious illness
In the case of a confirmed infectious disease, a notice will be displayed on the entrance doors to
childcare and preschool. Where more than three cases of the same disease have been confirmed a
notice will be distributed to all families via their message pockets.
Exclusion Periods:
The Centre abides by the recommendations of the Communicable Disease Control Branch, Department of
Health, South Australia “You’ve Got What? 4th Edition- 2009”
See “Recommended exclusion periods from childcare, preschool and school” at end of this policy
Diarrhoea:
Definition: Three or more loose bowel motions in 24 hours. (Department of Health - Communicable Disease Control Branch)
Parents will be contacted to collect their child if the child has three loose bowel actions on the same day.
Once excluded for diarrhoea normal exclusion periods apply.
Notifiable Diseases
In South Australia, Medical practitioners and microbiological laboratories are obliged by the Public and
Environmental Health Act, 1987, to notify cases of notifiable diseases to the Communicable Disease
Control Branch. (CDCB) .In the event of a confirmed Notifiable disease outbreak the Centre will work
closely with the CDCB and implement all of their recommendations.
Source:
Staying Healthy in Child Care – National Health and Medical research Council – 2005
You’ve got What? – Department of Health, South Australia – 2009
Dr Estelle Irving. (2009). Childcare and the Common Cold, Childcare and Children’s Health, Vol 12 No23
National Childcare Accreditation Council – www.ncac.gov.au – 2010
Adopted: February 2010
Last Reviewed: March 2011
To be reviewed: March 2012