The quick guide
| Symptom or illness | When they can usually return |
| Mild cough or runny nose | If otherwise well and no high temperature |
| Fever | When temperature has returned to normal and stays normal without fever medicine |
| Vomiting or diarrhoea | At least 48 hours after the last episode |
| Chickenpox | When all spots have crusted over, usually around 5–7 days after spots first appear |
| Cold | When generally well enough to attend |
| Flu | Once recovering and well enough; stay home during the acute illness |
The HSE defines a high temperature in children as 38°C or above.
Can a child go to school with a cough or runny nose?
Usually, yes. HSE advice is that a child who feels generally well can usually attend school or childcare with a minor cough, runny nose or mild sore throat. That matters because coughs can linger considerably longer than the infection that caused them.
The more useful question is often not “Do they have any symptoms?” but “Are they actually well?” A child who is lethargic, miserable, feverish, struggling to eat or drink, or clearly unable to participate normally should stay at home.
What about fever?
Keep your child home if their temperature is 38°C or higher. They can usually return once the temperature has returned to normal, remains normal without paracetamol or ibuprofen, and they otherwise feel well enough for school.
Do not use fever medicine simply to bring a temperature down long enough to send a child to school.
What about vomiting or diarrhoea?
Children should remain away from school, preschool or childcare until they have had no vomiting or diarrhoea for at least 48 hours. So if the last episode of vomiting was on Monday evening, Tuesday is not a suitable return day.
Even if a child suddenly seems full of energy the following morning, the 48-hour interval helps reduce the spread of gastrointestinal infections to other children and staff.
What about chickenpox?
A child with chickenpox should remain home until all of the spots have crusted over. HSE guidance says this is usually around 5 to 7 days after the spots first appear.
Take particular care around pregnant women, newborn babies and people with weakened immune systems, because chickenpox can be more serious in these groups.
My child seems better but still has a cough
That is very common. Young children can take up to three weeks to fully recover from a cold, and coughs may linger even after the child is otherwise back to normal. A lingering cough alone does not necessarily mean they remain infectious or cannot attend school.
Speak to a GP if the cough is lasting more than about three weeks, causing significant night-time waking, associated with wheezing or breathing difficulty, stopping them eating or drinking normally, or getting worse rather than better.
| PrivateGP.ieIf you are unsure whether your child needs medical assessment, you do not necessarily have to wait for a routine in-person appointment. For symptoms that are suitable for remote assessment, you can speak privately with an Irish GP online through PrivateGP.ie; if your child needs to be examined in person, the GP will advise you. |
When should I speak to a GP?
Consider a GP assessment if your child seems significantly more unwell than you would expect from a normal cold, is not drinking normally, is becoming dehydrated, has persistent fever, has symptoms that are worsening rather than improving, has breathing problems, has a rash you are unsure about, or has been unwell for longer than expected.
When should I seek urgent medical help?
Seek urgent assessment if a child has significant difficulty breathing, is very difficult to wake, appears seriously unwell, or has worrying signs such as a non-blanching rash with fever. For severe breathing difficulty or another life-threatening emergency, call 112 or 999.
References and further information