6.1 - Health Care

Health Care

To help keep all students healthy, please check your child for any signs of illness before bringing them to school. If your child is feeling unwell, please keep them at home and let the school know they won’t be attending. If your child is diagnosed with a contagious illness, please inform the school as soon as possible. We also check each child’s health every morning, and if any symptoms are noticed, we may ask you to take your child home. It’s important for all children to have current immunizations and regular check-ups to ensure their health and well-being. Thank you for helping us keep everyone safe and healthy!

 Immunizations

All students under 18 are required to have immunizations against certain contagious diseases. Immunization records must be submitted to the school before your child can attend, unless there is a medical exemption. In accordance with California State Immunization laws, children must have up-to-date immunization records to participate in our programs. If your child's immunizations are current through the school year, they will be considered “complete.” If their immunizations are up-to-date but require future updates, they will be “conditionally cleared to start.”

Required immunizations (shots or vaccinations). All students must have documentation on file showing they are up to date on immunizations, or they may not be able to attend school.

• Personal belief or religious exemptions are no longer accepted. Valid medical exemptions are acceptable.
• Medical exemptions must be submitted through CAIR-ME for any vaccine that is contraindicated.

A doctor can provide a medical waiver for exemptions, but personal or religious exemptions are no longer accepted according to California law. For a list of required immunizations, please refer to the California Department of Public Health. If a child does not meet the immunization requirements, they will be excluded from school unless exempt. (Health and Safety Codes 3385, 3386, and 3389).

Tuberculosis Screening

The San Francisco Board of Education requires a Tuberculin Skin Test within 12 months prior to admission to school, unless provision for exemption has been made or there is a health examiner signature attesting to no risk factors for TB (Resolution No. 44-23S-p3). A subsequent chest X-ray is required if the skin test is positive. 

 Illness or Injuries at School

Young children in group settings can be more prone to colds and other illnesses since their immune systems are still developing, and they are learning healthy habits. Most illnesses spread through hand contact, not from cold weather. Hand washing is one of the best ways to keep everyone healthy, so we teach children to wash their hands, use tissues properly, and cover their mouths when they sneeze. You can help by practicing these habits at home and keeping your child at home if they show signs of illness. Please make sure to wash both your and your child's hands when entering the classroom each day.

If your child has been prescribed antibiotics for an illness, they should be on the medication for at least 24 hours before returning to school. In some cases, a doctor's note may be needed. If your child gets sick at school and goes home early, they must be fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication before coming back to school.

 Medical or Dental Emergency

Certificated staff members are current and certified in CPR and First Aid training. The staff can handle minor injuries sustained at school, and parents will be notified immediately.  Staff members may only use soap, water and BandAids. If there is a serious injury to a child, we will call 911 and contact the child's parents immediately. If we cannot reach a parent, the child may be transported to the designated emergency room. Each child has an Emergency Consent Form, signed by the parent, on file in the office.

 Contagious Illnesses 

If you think that your child or anyone in your family has a contagious illness, such as chickenpox, lice, pink eye, hand, foot, and mouth disease, strep throat, or COVID-19, please let the school know right away. We keep all health information confidential. If there is an exposure at school, we will notify parents as needed.

 Allergies

Please be sure to notify the staff of any food allergies or restrictions your child may have. A completed medical statement is required if your child has any food allergies or restrictions; medical statement forms can be obtained in the school office or online at sfusd.edu/specialmeals .All food allergies that are documented by a physician are posted for our nutrition and classroom staff. Our team adheres to special procedures when addressing the feeding patterns and needs of our students.

 Medications 

If your child needs prescribed medication while at school, please submit an SFUSD medical form with the doctor's instructions on how to administer it. Medications must be in their original container and clearly labeled with your child's name, the medication name, dosage, administration times, expiration date, and the doctor’s name and license number. We’ll store medications safely, following the instructions on the label, and out of children’s reach. Once the medication is no longer needed, it will be returned to you. If needed, an SFUSD nurse will train our staff on how to give the medication properly. Children with certain medical conditions like asthma or allergies must have a doctor’s action plan on file and the required medication at school in order to attend. Please note that district staff cannot administer non-prescribed medications, including over-the-counter items like aspirin or cough syrup.