Information for health professionals and the wider sector is gradually moving. Until mid-2026, information will either be here, or on our other website — tewhatuora.govt.nz.
Disease prevention for early learning services
Infectious diseases information and guidance for early learning services and kōhanga reo.
What early learning services are responsible for
Early learning services are responsible for preventing the spread of infectious diseases. If a child or member of staff at your early learning service is sick, they should stay home until they are better.
Knowing if a child is well enough to be at school — guidance for schoolsexternal link
If you think a child or staff member may have an infectious disease, such as gastroenteritis (stomach bug) or a respiratory illness, contact your local public health service.
Notifiable diseasesexternal link
Excluding people who are not immunised during an outbreak
Children who are not immunised may need to be excluded or isolated from your service during outbreaks of certain infectious diseases, such as:
- measles
- rubella
- mumps
- hepatitis A
- whooping cough (pertussis).
Isolation or exclusion periods vary depending on the disease. They can be as short as a few days or as long as 3 weeks and may be extended further on public health advice.
Your immunisation policy should have a statement about excluding or isolating children who are not immunised during outbreaks.
Immunisation Register for Early Childhood Services and Primary Schools – HealthEdexternal link
Isolation and exclusions during a measles outbreak
If you suspect a child or staff member has measles, it is very important that you do not notify families until the case has been confirmed through testing. Your local public health service will advise you on what to say, who to tell, and when.
People with measles should stay home and isolate until 4 days after their rash first appears, because they are considered infectious until then. In practice, many will remain unwell for longer, and should not return until they are well enough. People isolating should follow advice from public health. In some cases (such as in immunocompromised people), isolation may need to be extended.
Staff immunisation
The immunisation handbook recommends staff are immunised against common diseases, including:
- tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough (pertussis)
- polio
- chickenpox (varicella)
- measles, mumps and rubella
- hepatitis B
- hepatitis A
- chicken pox
- flu (every year)
