Health Information
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Communicable Diseases and Health Information
Review the following resources for important health information. Keep in mind that the information about viruses is provided for information only and does not indicate an outbreak in our area. RISD Health Services actively monitors for outbreaks and remains in communication with the local health authority. These health fact sheets are provided by the following organizations:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS)
To prevent the spread of communicable illness:
Our schools help by:
- Teaching and encouraging proper handwashing techniques.
- Teaching effective coughing and sneeze techniques such as coughing into your sleeve.
- Posting signs around the campus as a visual reminder.
- Encouraging all staff to remain home when ill.
Parents help by:
- Having their families vaccinated against the flu.
- Encouraging proper handwashing, sneeze and cough techniques be used at home.
- Consulting their healthcare providers when flu-like/covid-like symptoms begin. Symptoms include: fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, fatigue and nasal congestion.
- Keeping children home when ill.
Students help by:
- Washing their hands for twenty seconds with soap and water before and after eating, after sneezing or coughing into their hands, after using the restroom, after playing outdoors and any other time their hands are dirty.
- Using tissues when sneezing and coughing into their sleeves.
- Not sharing food and drink.
- Encouraging others to do the same.
Exclusion from School for Health Reasons
To protect all children from communicable illnesses, students infected with certain diseases should not come to school while they are contagious. Students should be symptom-free for 24 hours before returning to school.
A student with any of the following symptoms will be excluded from school until such time as the student is free of symptoms, has been satisfactorily treated, or submits a signed physician’s statement that he/she is not contagious.
- Temperature of 100.0 degrees or more. Students must be fever free for 24 hours, without medication, before re-entry.
- Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Students must be symptom free for 24 hours without medication before re-entry.
The Principal or his/her designee, in collaboration with the school nurse, will notify parents that the student must be excluded for medical reasons.
- It is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to transport the student from school to his/her home in a timely manner.
- For readmission, some diseases may require a statement from the student’s physician affirming that the student is not contagious.
For more information:
Communicable Disease Information for Parents by Topic
Bacterial Meningitis
- Information regarding bacterial meningitis is available online from the CDC as well as the Texas Department of State Health Services. The CDC recommends the meningococcal vaccine for all 11 and 12 year olds.
- Information from the FDA
- Information from the CDC: This is current information on the increased risk of meningitis for children who receive cochlear implants.
COVID-19
- CDC Respiratory Virus Guidance
- Students and staff who are experiencing COVID like symptoms, or have tested positive for COVID should remain home until they are fever free for at least 24 hours, without the use of fever reducing medication, and symptoms have improved.
- COVID-19 Vaccines by Zip Code
- Parents and Staff members should follow the directions of their medical provider and CDC guidelines to determine when it’s safest to return to school after having COVID-19.