Key messages
- The Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019 contain several statutory obligations relating to primary schools and children’s services exclusions for infectious diseases.
- In October 2026, minor updates were made 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 | Not excluded. For their own protection, non-attendance is recommended for any child with an immune deficiency (for example, leukaemia) or receiving chemotherapy |
| Conjunctivitis | Exclude until discharge from eyes has ceased | 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 |
| Gastroenteritis (diarrhoeal illness) | In an outbreak of gastroenteritis, exclude until there has not been vomiting or a loose bowel motion for 48 hours. For sporadic cases of gastroenteritis, exclude until there has not been vomiting or a loose bowel motion for 24 hours | 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 or immune contacts not excluded. Exclude unimmunised, under-immunised or non-immune (a) 14 days after the onset of rash in the last case
|
| 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 |
| 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 in the same room as the case who have not received three effective doses of pertussis vaccine must 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, but not before 7 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
- ‘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 2019 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.
Frequently asked questions
More information
For more information on excluding an unwell child and what to do, see Exclusion periods for primary schools and children's services.
Updated