• Keeping students healthy.
• What to do when they become sick.
• Information about students and medications
• Massachusetts revisions concerning communicable diseases
• From The School Nurse: Fifth Disease Information

Keeping Students Healthy

• COVER THEIR NOSE AND MOUTH with a tissue when they cough or sneeze, and have them throw the tissue away after they use it.


• WASH THEIR HANDS OFTEN WITH SOAP AND WATER, especially after they cough or sneeze, use the bathroom, and before handling food. If water is not near, use an alcohol-based hand cleaner.


• NOT TOUCH THEIR EYES, NOSE, OR MOUTH. Germs often spread this way.

• Check your child for lice once a week, and contact the Health Office if you find lice or nits. The most effective control is careful, repeated inspection of the child's hair and scalp by parents.


• Students need to get plenty of sleep and physical activity, drink water, and eat good food to help them stay healthy in the winter and all year.

Return to the top of the page or the Merriam General Information Page.

What To Do If They Become Sick

1. Your child should stay home from school if he or she has a fever, vomits or has diarrhea within the past 12 hours, appears lethargic, or has a persistent cough. If your child is sick and goes to school, you place others at risk for getting sick as well.


2. Before returning to school after an illness, your child should be fever-free for 24 hours and have enough stamina to manage a full day of school activities including P.E. and recess. If your child is taking an antibiotic, he or she should remain at home for the first 24 hours. Please notify the Health Office if your child tests positive for strep infection.


3. All medications should be brought to the health office by a parent. Do not send in medication in your child's backpack.

Return to the top of the page or the Merriam General Information Page.

Important Information for all Parents Regarding Medications

Medication administration is an important issue in schools. Some students require medications at school in order to survive. Others need medications in order to learn. Occasionally, students require antibiotics during the day following a bacterial infection.

The goal of the Merriam School Nurse is to administer only those medications that are absolutely necessary during the school day. All other medications should be given at home either before or after school.

State law requires a written order by a licensed prescriber and written parental permission before any medication can be administered to students, including over-the-counter medications. You can obtain forms for this purpose from the School Nurse, or from most health care providers.

All medication MUST be in the original labeled container and be labeled with the student’s name. The School Nurse will NOT administer expired medications, medications delivered in unlabeled containers, and medications in inappropriate containers such as ziploc bags. For the safety of all students, no medications are to be carried to school by students. (The only exception to this rule is for Junior High and High School students who are allowed to carry inhalers or Epi-pens after certain requirements are met.)

With your help, the School Nurse can provide a safe, supervised environment for students who require medications at school. Feel free to contact the Merriam School Nurse, Betty Mazzone RN, at (978) 264-4700, x3752 with any questions.

Return to the top of the page or the Merriam General Information Page.

Communicable Diseases

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) recently revised several aspects of the reporting and containment requirements for communicable diseases. In summary, healthcare providers, including school nurses and school physicians, are required to report to the Board of Health and/or DPH numerous communicable diseases.

From such reporting, the local Board of Health may then use its powers to isolate and quarantine. The DPH defines these two basic concepts as the following:

• Isolation: the separation of persons who have a specific communicable disease from those who are healthy for the purpose of stopping the spread of that disease.
• Quarantine: the separation and restriction of movement of persons who, while not yet ill, have been exposed to a communicable disease and therefore may become infectious and spread the disease to others. Quarantine may involve exclusion from school for a specific time period. The minimum quarantine periods for the following illnesses as they specifically address school students/employees are:
• Chicken Pox (Varicella): 10th to 21st day after exposure
• Measles: 5th to 21st day after exposure
• Mumps: 12th to 26th day after exposure
• Non-Congenital Rubella: 7th to 21st day after exposure

If a student is not immunized due to religious or medical exemptions and has been exposed to a communicable disease, the parent/guardian will be notified explaining the exclusion requirements prior to the exclusion period. The child may only attend school with a doctor's letter verifying vaccination or a blood test showing immunity. If you have any questions regarding communicable diseases and your child, please contact your school nurse, or the Massachusetts Department of Public Health at 617-983-6800.

Return to the top of the page or the Merriam General Information Page.

From The School Nurse: Fifth Disease Information

What is Fifth Disease? It is a mild rash illness that usually affects children, and is commonly seen in late winter and early spring. It is caused by Parvovirus B19, which lives in the nose and throat, and can be spread from person to person. The first stage of illness consists of headache, body ache, sore throat, low-grade fever and chills. These symptoms last about two to three days and are followed by a second stage, lasting about a week, during which the person has no symptoms at all. Individuals are most infectious before the beginning of their symptoms. In children, the third stage involves a bright red rash on the cheeks, which gives a "slapped cheek" appearance, and may be followed by a "lacy" rash on the trunk, arms and legs. The rash begins 17 to 18 days after exposure, and may appear on and off for several weeks with changes in temperature, sunlight and emotional stress. Adults may not develop the third-stage rash but may experience joint pain, particularly in the hands and feet. The disease is usually mild, and both children and adults recover without problems.

How is it treated? There is no specific treatment for Fifth Disease. Health care providers may suggest treatment to relieve some symptoms. There is no vaccine to prevent Fifth Disease.

Must a child stay home? Children with Fifth Disease do NOT have to stay home. By the time they are diagnosed with the rash, they are no longer contagious.

What should you do? Watch for symptoms and notify the school nurse if you suspect your child has Fifth Disease. If you are pregnant, or have a blood disorder or weakened immune system, tell your health care provider about possible exposure. Finally, always be careful about hand washing, especially after touching discharge from the nose and throat and before eating or handling food.

Return to the top of the page or the Merriam General Information Page.