Infection control and immunisation policy

Early Learning Victoria is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for all children, staff and any others attending our centres. Our educators and staff play an important role in safeguarding children’s health, safety and wellbeing.

1. Scope

This policy applies to children, families, staff, management and visitors of Early Learning Victoria centres. This includes volunteers, students on placement and contractors or labour hire employees of Early Learning Victoria.

2. Policy statement

This policy provides clear guidelines and procedures for:

when a child attending an Early Learning Victoria centre shows symptoms of an infectious disease
when a child attending an Early Learning Victoria centre has been diagnosed with an infectious disease and must be excluded in line with the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019
managing and minimising the spread of infectious diseases, illnesses and infestations (including head lice)
managing and minimising infections relating to blood-borne viruses
managing and minimising infections relating to epidemics and pandemics (for example, coronavirus).

All staff at Early Learning Victoria centres are committed to preventing the spread of infectious diseases through good hygiene practices, proper glove use, environmental cleaning, maintaining appropriate immunisation records and adhering to exclusion guidelines for any unwell or symptomatic children.

2.1 Requirements

Under the Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010 (the National Law) and Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011 (the Regulations), Early Learning Victoria must ensure:

reasonable steps to prevent the spread of infectious diseases are taken
parents or an authorised emergency contact of each child enrolled at the service is notified of the occurrence of an infectious disease as soon as practicable
a notice is displayed at the entrance to the centre stating that there has been an occurrence of an infectious disease at the Early Learning Victoria centre. The notice will include the illness/disease and its symptoms, the infectious period and the exclusion period
notification requirements of the Regulatory Authority are met if an outbreak of an infectious disease poses a risk to the health, safety or wellbeing of children attending the Early Learning Victoria centre.

2.2 Background and information

Early Learning Victoria is committed to minimising the spread of infectious diseases. This is achieved by following recommendations in Staying healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services (6th edition), developed by the Australian Government National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), and advice from Australian Health Protection Principal Committee.

Early Learning Victoria is guided by decisions regarding exclusion periods and notification of infectious diseases by the Victorian Department of Health and Local Public Health Units (LPHUs) as per the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008.

Early Learning Victoria supports the Immunise Australia Program and National Immunisation Program, as recommended by the NHMRC and supported by the Commonwealth Government. Early Learning Victoria also enforces the Australian Government Department of Health’s No Jab No Play policy.

3. Actions and procedures

What to do if a child seems sick

If a child is not well enough to participate in activities, centre staff must contact their parent or carer or emergency contacts to collect them from the centre. If practical, isolate the sick child from the other children until they can be collected.

Monitor the child to make sure their condition does not get worse.

Call an ambulance immediately (000) if a child develops any of the following serious symptoms (or if there are any other concerns for the safety of the child):

breathing difficulty – the child may be breathing very quickly or noisily or look pale or blue around the mouth. The child may be working hard at breathing, with the muscles between the ribs or at the base of the neck being drawn in with each breath
drowsiness or unresponsiveness – the child is less alert, sleepier than normal or difficult to wake from sleep, or they are not responding as they usually do (for example, making less eye contact than usual, or showing less interest in their surroundings than usual)
poor circulation – the child looks very pale, and their hands and feet feel cold or look blue

For further information, see the Incident, injury, trauma and illness policy and the Staying healthy guidelines.

Reporting outbreaks to the Local Public Health Unit

Outbreaks require immediate attention, investigation and coordinated efforts to control the spread of the disease. To break the chain of infection during a disease outbreak, the nominated supervisor should contact the relevant LPHU for advice. Public health staff can provide valuable advice, support and resources that help manage cases or outbreaks of infectious diseases.

Note that during outbreaks, more rigorous environmental cleaning practices are required. See the Hygiene and cleaning policy and recommendations in the Staying healthy guidelines.

Nominated supervisors are required to notify the LPHU within 24 hours of being made aware of an outbreak of 2 or more cases of gastrointestinal or respiratory illness (for example, influenza, RSV or COVID-19) in a 72-hour period.

Nominated supervisors must monitor health alerts and guidelines from LPHU and the Victorian Department of Health for any advice, and emergency health management in the event of a contagious illness outbreak. Nominated supervisors should subscribe to the Chief Health Officer alerts to stay updated with current health issues facing the Victorian public and health sector.

Nominated supervisors must notify the Regulatory Authority of any incidence of an infectious disease that poses a risk to the health, safety or wellbeing of children attending the service.

Blood-borne viruses

Blood-borne viruses are spread when blood from an infected person enters another person’s blood stream and include hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. The risk of contracting blood-borne viruses (BBV) is negligible. Staff have a duty of care to provide first aid to children with BBV, following standard precaution practices (see Attachment 1) to prevent transmission of BBV and body fluids.

Immunisation for staff

It is highly recommended that Early Learning Victoria centre staff keep up to date with all immunisations, including yearly influenza vaccinations and vaccinations recommended by the NHMRC.

Staff are required to provide an Immunisation History Statement from the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) and/or records from their general practitioner to management for their staff record.

Vaccination is important, as not only can staff members catch potentially serious infections such as measles or whooping cough, they can also inadvertently pass disease on to children in their care who are too young to have had their vaccinations, or to colleagues who may be pregnant.

Excluding children from the service

When a child has been diagnosed with an illness or infectious disease, Early Learning Victoria will refer to information about recommended exclusion periods from the Staying healthy guidelines and the Victorian Department of Health’s exclusion table for primary schools and children’s services. The NHMRC’s factsheet on exclusion periods may help centre staff to explain exclusion periods to families.

Ventilation

Ventilating indoor spaces reduces the risk of transmission of airborne infectious diseases, particularly in spaces where educators and children gather for extended periods and during higher-risk times (such as winter) when airborne infectious disease transmission typically peaks.

To reduce the risk of catching or passing on airborne infectious diseases:

increase the use of outdoor learning areas whenever possible
minimise the use of indoor space that can’t be ventilated with outside air
maximise fresh air flow into all indoor spaces by opening windows and doors
if inclement weather does not permit open windows and doors all day, consider opening them intermittently for short durations – for example, for 10 minutes every hour.

3.1 Responsibilities of families

Families must provide information about their child’s medical conditions upon enrolment, including if their child has a blood-borne virus (see the Enrolment and orientation policy and the Management of medical conditions policy and procedure).

Families must advise staff if their child has been given any medication, including paracetamol or ibuprofen before coming to the Early Learning Victoria centre. If a child becomes sick during care, a member of staff will contact the child’s parents or carers.

Families must keep the centre fully informed of their child’s symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and recovery if they are sent home or absent because they are infected with an infectious disease or infestation or have been in contact with a person infected with a condition for which the exclusion of contacts is specified.

If Early Learning Victoria has not been provided with sufficient information regarding the child’s health status, a member of staff will contact the family.

Immunisation

Immunisation is a reliable way to prevent many infectious diseases. All parents or carers planning to enrol their child must provide Early Learning Victoria with a current Immunisation History Statement from the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR). The statement must show that the child is up to date with all vaccinations that are due for their age.

Once enrolled, you will need to provide an updated Immunisation History Statement whenever your child receives or was due to receive immunisation/s. See No Jab No Play – Better Health Channel for further information, including translated resources.

Families are responsible for:

keeping their child at home if they are unwell or have an excludable infectious disease (see NHMRC’s factsheet on exclusion periods and the Victorian Department of Health’s exclusion table for primary schools and children’s services for guidance)
keeping their child at home if there is an infectious disease at the centre and their child is not fully immunised against it
informing staff if their child is diagnosed with an infectious illness, including COVID-19, or has been in contact with a person who has an infectious disease
complying with entry restrictions at Early Learning Victoria centres during an outbreak of an infectious disease or virus.

3.2 Responsibilities of staff

Educators are responsible for:
- having a clear understanding of this policy’s procedures and practices, the Hygiene and cleaning policy, the Staying healthy guidelines and the Victorian Department of Health’s exclusion table for primary schools and children’s services
- ensuring that any child suspected of having an infectious illness is responded to, with their health and emotional needs supported at all times
- ensuring that any child suspected of having an infectious illness is isolated from other children, if practicable, and supervised while waiting for collection by their parent or carer
- ensuring appropriate health and safety procedures are implemented when treating ill children
- ensuring families are contacted directly and made aware of the need to collect their child/children as soon as practicable
- ensuring that parents and carers understand that they must inform the Early Learning Victoria central office or the nominated supervisor as soon as practicable if their child has an infectious disease or infestation, or has been in contact with a person infected with a condition for which the exclusion of contacts is specified
- ensuring children have opportunities to participate in hygiene practices, including routine opportunities and intentional practice such as hand-washing, sneezing and cough etiquette, and role-modelling the same
- conducting head lice inspections whenever an infestation is suspected. This involves:
  - visually checking children’s hair
  - notifying Early Learning Victoria central office and the family of the child if an infestation of head lice is suspected
  - providing families with a copy of the Department of Health’s treating and controlling headlice factsheet
- following the Hygiene and cleaning policy, and the procedures for infection prevention and control relating to blood-borne viruses (see Attachment 1)
- proactively educating families about the importance of keeping children who are unwell at home, to prevent the spread of infection to other children and educators, and encouraging families to do this
- proactively encouraging other staff who have or who are suspected of having an infectious disease not to attend the centre, to prevent the spread of infection to others attending the service
- maintaining up-to-date knowledge about best practice and contemporary issues in health and safety through ongoing professional development opportunities
- keeping informed of current legislation, information, research and evidence-based practice
- maintaining confidentiality about how children and families are affected by infectious diseases (see the Privacy policy).
The nominated supervisor is responsible for:
- establishing, and complying with, good hygiene and infection prevention and control procedures (see the Hygiene and cleaning policy and Attachment 1)
- ensuring that all staff and volunteers are provided with a copy of this policy and have a clear understanding of its procedures and practices
- providing all staff and volunteers with a copy of the Staying healthy guidelines and the Victorian Department of Health’s exclusion table for primary schools and children’s services
- ensuring that parents and carers understand that they must inform the Early Learning Victoria central office or the nominated supervisor as soon as practicable if their child has an infectious disease or infestation, or has been in contact with a person infected with a condition for which the exclusion of contacts is specified
- ensuring that information about the minimum exclusion periods is displayed at the service and is available to all stakeholders
- communicating changes to the exclusion table or immunisation laws to all stakeholders in a timely manner
- encouraging families when enrolling to complete a consent form allowing educators to conduct head lice inspections (see Attachment 2), explaining the reasons for the request, including the importance of preventing head lice
- providing a head lice notification letter to all families enrolled at the centre when a child is suspected of having head lice (see Attachment 3)
- contacting the relevant LPHU for advice if there is an outbreak of infectious disease and further guidance is required
- notifying the LPHU within 24 hours of being made aware of an outbreak of 2 or more cases of gastrointestinal or respiratory illness (such as influenza, RSV or COVID-19) in a 72-hour period
- complying with the advice of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, Victorian Chief Health Officer and Department of Health where required
- notifying everyone at the Early Learning Victoria centre of any outbreak of infectious disease and ensuring that important, relevant information is displayed in a prominent position, including information about
  - the nature of the illness
  - incubation and infectious periods
  - exclusion requirements for the illness
- reviewing children’s immunisation regularly, updating the child’s records kept at the service and sending reminder letters and emails to families as required
- developing a staff immunisation record that documents each staff member’s previous infection or immunisations, including dates, in accordance with the Privacy policy
- taking reasonable steps to encourage staff to become vaccinated, and documenting advice given and any active refusal to comply with vaccination encouragement, including the context and nature of the refusal
- maintaining confidentiality at all times (see the Privacy policy).
The approved provider is responsible for:
- ensuring standard precaution practices are carried out every day to minimise or, if possible, eliminate the risk of transmission of infection
- ensuring that if there is an occurrence of an infectious disease at an Early Learning Victoria centre, reasonable steps are taken to prevent the spread of that infectious disease
- ensuring that if there is an occurrence of an infectious disease at an Early Learning Victoria centre, a parent, carer or authorised emergency contact of each child at the service is notified as soon as practicable
- ensuring that a child is excluded from the service in accordance with the minimum exclusion periods when informed that the child is infected with an infectious disease, or has been in contact with a person who is infected with an infectious disease
- ensuring obligations under the No Jab No Play legislation (Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment Act 2015) are met, including to request, assess and manage immunisation documentation, and assisting families who may face difficulties in meeting the requirements
- ensuring that when directed by the Chief Health Officer, a child who is at material risk of contracting a vaccine-preventable disease is excluded until the Chief Health Officer directs that attendance can be resumed
- ensuring that a minimum of one educator with current approved first aid qualifications is in attendance and immediately available at all times the service is in operation (see the Administration of first aid policy and procedure)
- notifying the Regulatory Authority within 24 hours of a serious incident via the NQA IT System
- contacting the local council’s environmental health officer to obtain a needle/syringe/sharps disposal unit and instructions for its use
- ensuring that parents and carers understand that they must inform Early Learning Victoria central office or the nominated supervisor as soon as practicable if the child has an infectious disease or infestation, or has been in contact with a person infected with a condition for which the exclusion of contacts is specified.

4. Resources

Legislation and standards

Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010
Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011
Health Records Act 2001
National Quality Standard, Quality area 2: Children’s health and safety
National Quality Standard, Quality area 6: Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004
Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008
Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment (No Jab No Play) Act 2015
Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019
Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014
Privacy Act 1988

Related policies

Administering medication policy and procedure
Child safety and wellbeing policy
Eating and drinking: Health, nutrition and food safety policy and procedure
Hygiene and cleaning policy
Incident, injury, trauma and illness policy
Management of medical conditions policy and procedure
Privacy policy

Links and resources

Attachments

Attachment 1: Procedures for infection prevention and control relating to blood borne viruses and body fluids
Attachment 2: Consent form to conduct head lice inspections
Attachment 3: Head lice action form

Definitions

Blood-borne virus (BBV): A virus that is spread when blood from an infected person enters another person’s bloodstream. BBVs include human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Where basic hygiene, safety, infection prevention and control and first aid procedures are followed, the risks of contracting a blood-borne virus are negligible.

Cough etiquette: The correct way to prevent the spread of infectious organisms that are carried in droplets of saliva is to cough or sneeze into the inner elbow or to use a tissue to cover the mouth and nose. Place all tissues in the rubbish bin immediately and clean hands with either soap and water or a disinfectant hand rub.

Exclusion: Inability to attend or participate in centre programs.

Illness: Any sickness and/or associated symptoms that affect the child’s normal participation in the program at the service.

Infection: The invasion and multiplication of micro-organisms in bodily tissue.

Infectious disease: An infectious disease designated by the Communicable Disease Section, Department of Health Victoria, as well as those listed in Schedule 7 of the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019, the Minimum Period of Exclusion from Primary Schools, Education and Care Service Premises and Children’s Centres for Infectious Diseases Cases and Contacts.

Infestation: The lodgement, development and reproduction of arthropods (such as head lice), either on the surface of the body of humans or animals, or in clothing.

Medication: Medicine within the meaning of the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989. Medicine includes prescription, over-the-counter and complementary medicines. All therapeutic goods in Australia are listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods, available at Therapeutic Goods Administration.

Minimum exclusion period: The Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019 contain several statutory obligations relating to primary schools and children’s services exclusion for infectious diseases. An infringement penalty for failure to exclude a child with, or exposed to, a specified infectious disease applies (applicable to a person in charge). The exclusion period table is published by the Department of Health.

Serious incident: For the purposes of the definition of ‘serious incident’ in section 5(1) of the National Law, each of the following is prescribed as a serious incident:

the death of a child:
- while that child is being educated and cared for by an education and care service, or
- following an incident occurring while that child was being educated and cared for by an education and care service
any incident involving serious injury (such as a broken limb) or trauma to a child occurring while that child is being educated and cared for by an education and care service:
- which a reasonable person would consider required urgent medical attention from a registered medical practitioner, or
- for which the child attended, or ought reasonably to have attended, a hospital
any incident involving serious illness of a child occurring while that child is being educated and cared for by an education and care service for which the child attended, or ought reasonably to have attended, a hospital (for instance, for a severe asthma attack, seizure or anaphylaxis reaction)
any emergency which emergency services attended
any circumstance where a child being educated and cared for by an education and care service:
- appears to be missing or cannot be accounted for, or
- appears to have been taken or removed from the education and care service premises in a manner that contravenes the Regulations, or
- is mistakenly locked in or locked out of the education and care service premises or any part of the premises.

Serious symptoms: If a child has any of the following serious symptoms, call an ambulance (000) immediately:

breathing difficulty – the child may be breathing very quickly or noisily, or look pale or blue around the mouth. The child may be working hard at breathing, with the muscles between the ribs or at the base of the neck being drawn in with each breath
drowsiness or unresponsiveness – the child is less alert, sleepier than normal or difficult to wake from sleep, or they are not responding as they usually do (for example, making less eye contact than usual, or showing less interest in their surroundings than usual)
poor circulation – the child looks very pale, and their hands and feet feel cold or look blue.

Standard precautions: Work practices that achieve a basic level of infection prevention and control. Using standard precautions aims to minimise and, if possible, eliminate the risk of transmission of infection, particularly those caused by blood-borne viruses. Standard precautions include, but are not limited to, hand hygiene, cleaning equipment and the environment, respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette and appropriate use of personal protective equipment.

Education

Updated 13 May 2025