Chicken Pox, Head lice and winter bugs.

CHICKEN POX

Chickenpox (varicella) is a very contagious disease. It causes small itchy blisters on your skin. The virus is spread through the air by infected people when they sneeze or cough, and by touching the chickenpox blisters then touching objects or other people.

The illness starts 10–21 days after being exposed.

Chickenpox is contagious from 1–2 days before the blisters appear. Avoid close contact with other people, stay home from work, keep children home from school and early childhood education centres from the appearance of the rash until all blisters have dried.

Chickenpox can also spread through touching the blisters and then touching objects or other people.

• Wash your hands often, especially if you’re the caregiver of a child with chickenpox – and make sure they do the same.

• Discourage children from scratching the blisters.

For more detailed information on Chickenpox please click here.

HEAD LICE:

How can I tell if my child has head lice?

Your child may have an itchy scalp, especially around the nape of the neck, crown and ears. You may see live lice on the scalp, or hard, pale grey or yellow-white eggs (nits) like grains of salt attached to the hair, close to the scalp. Or the first indication you may have is when the school tells you there's an outbreak.

How do I treat them?

The key to dealing with lice is to check, treat and inform.

1. Check: Check your child’s hair regularly - once a week is a good guide. In the past, teachers and public health nurses lined kids up for public and humiliating checks at school. These days schools don't do checks so it's up to you to check at home.

2. Treat: If you find live lice or unhatched eggs, treat your child as soon as you can. Your chemist can advise you on the best way to deal with the problem. Schools also give good advice and can refer you for more advice and treatment. Treatments don't need to be expensive, although they can be time-consuming, for example using a fine-toothed comb every day.

3. Inform: Let the school know when your child has lice or nits.

Please watch your children for symptoms and keep them at home if they are unwell.

Please email the office and your child's teacher with information regarding your child's absence.

There are some guidelines attached from Te Whatu Ora (Ministry of Health.)