Health Information

When your child does not feel well, it can be difficult to decide whether to send the child to school. For the safety of all, students with any of the symptoms below should not attend school.

Symptoms to keep students at home

For the safety of all, students with any of the following symptoms should not attend school:

• Fever of 100.4° F (38° C) or higher
• Vomiting (2 or more times in 24 hours)
• Diarrhea (liquid stool)
• Severe sore throat (with difficulty breathing or swallowing or drooling)
• Severe cold symptoms (uncontrollable cough, difficulty breathing or trouble catching breath, or wheezing when not controlled by medication (like albuterol).
•  Eye or Ear Irritation (difficulty seeing or hearing, eye injury or pain that cannot be tolerated)
• Rash that is worsening, causing pain, has blisters or is not healing
• Head lice and/or nits (eggs) in the hair

If a student is at school with any of these symptoms and is unable to participate meaningfully in routine activities, a parent/guardian will be called to pick up the student.

Students who have been ill with a fever should stay home if the fever is 100.4° F (38° C) or higher. Student may return if the fever resolves over the night and is gone in the morning without the use of medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen (Tylenol, Advil, or Motrin).

Students experiencing vomiting should stay home if they have had 2 or more vomiting episodes in 24 hours. Student may return to school when vomiting has ended overnight, and your child is able to hold down liquids and foods without vomiting. Frequent handwashing is recommended.

Students experiencing diarrhea should stay home if they have liquid stool and are unlikely to make it to the toilet in time. Student may return to school when diarrhea has improved. Frequent handwashing is recommended.

Under certain circumstances, parents may be asked to consult a physician and provide a written note from that physician indicating that the student may return to school. 

Protocols for illness and outbreaks may change based on directions from the Public Health Department.  For more information, please visit the CDPH guidance page.

Student Absence Reporting: Parents/caregivers are asked to report any illness-related absences by contacting the student’s school site.

San José Unified will no longer issue COVID-19 Isolation notifications that provide the first possible date when staff or students can return to school after testing positive for COVID-19. Instead, please use these updated CDPH isolation protocols.

Testing Positive for COVID-19 AND Experiencing COVID-19 Symptoms
Stay home if you have COVID-19 symptoms, until you have not had a fever for 24 hours without using fever-reducing medication AND other COVID-19 symptoms are mild and improving.

• Mask when you are around other people indoors for the five days after you become sick or test positive.
• CDPH recommends that, if you have symptoms, and particularly if you are at higher risk for severe COVID-19, you speak with a healthcare provider as soon as you test positive. You may be eligible for specific treatments for COVID-19. Call CDPH at 1-833-422-4255 if you are unable to contact a healthcare provider or use the treatment options to find one.

Testing Positive for COVID-19 AND not  Experiencing COVID-19 Symptoms
Staff or students who test positive for COVID-19 but do not have symptoms can continue to come to work/school, following these CDPH recommendations:

• Mask is recommended when you are around other people indoors for the five days after you test positive.
• Contact with others increases the potential to transmit the virus or to transmit it to a higher-risk individual. It is recommended to take greater care in following the recommendations to limit spreading the virus to others during the ten days following their exposure and may consider self-limiting their contact with others.
• All higher-risk close contacts should get tested at least once and are strongly recommended to follow the testing and mitigation measures outlined in this guidance.

Reporting Cases to San José Unified: Staff and families should continue to report all positive cases for safety, tracking, and reporting purposes. Positive cases should be reported in the COVID-19 Case Reporting Form.

Student Absence Reporting: Parents/caregivers are asked to report any COVID-19-related absences by following SJUSD’s absence protocols.

Staff Absence Reporting: Staff must report are asked to report any COVID-19 -related absences by following SJUSD’s absence protocols.

San José Unified continues to make tests and masks available to our school sites as needed. 

Tuberculosis requirement 

To comply with the Tuberculosis School Mandate for Santa Clara County, all children entering Kindergarten or transferring at any grade level from outside of Santa Clara County need a TB risk assessment form that is signed by a health professional licensed in the United States. To be valid, the documentation must be signed within 12 months prior to first school entrance or transfer.

Health examinations

Effective July 1, 2024, the Child Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP) health examination is no longer required.

Oral health assessment 

State law requires that students have an oral health assessment (dental check-up) by a licensed dentist or other licensed or registered dental health professional by May 31 in either kindergarten or first grade, whichever is their first year in public school. Assessments completed within 12 months of a student entering school also meet this requirement. Oral health assessments are available at selected school sites through a collaboration with community agencies. Parents/guardians may sign waivers under certain conditions. 

Immunizations

To comply with state law, students enrolling in school need to provide a written record of the required immunizations. Contact your healthcare provider if you need immunizations or copies of records. If you don’t have a healthcare provider, you can find a clinic that offers low-cost routine immunizations for children. All students enrolling in San Jose Unified School District need to provide records indicating they are current with all required immunizations. 

If you have questions about immunization requirements, please call the Enrollment Center at 408-535-6412.

Exemptions

Beginning January 1, 2021, all medical exemptions for school and childcare facilities must be submitted through CAIR-ME  by physicians licensed in California. Once the exemption is issued, the physician must provide a copy to the parents to give to their child’s school or childcare facility. The law no longer allows parents or legal guardians to choose an exemption from immunization requirements based solely on personal or religious beliefs. 

Instructions to request a medical exemption: English | Spanish 

Frequently asked questions about immunization exemptions 

The parents and guardians of pupils admitted or advancing to the sixth grade level are hereby notified that the State of California advises that pupils adhere to current immunization guidelines, as recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Family Physicians, regarding full human papillomavirus (HPV) immunization before admission or advancement to the eighth grade level of any private or public elementary or secondary school.

While HPV vaccination is not required for school, HPV vaccination is routinely recommended at age 11-12 years and can start as early as 9 years. The vaccine is more effective if given sooner because pre-teens produce more antibodies after HPV vaccination than older teens. Vaccinating at a younger age can also protect them before they are exposed to the virus. HPV vaccination can prevent over 90 percent of cancers caused by HPV. HPV vaccines are very safe, and scientific research shows that the benefits of HPV vaccination far outweigh the potential risks.

For more information, please see Health and Safety Code 120336  and  California Education Code 48980.4.  

A school nurse or designated employee may assist any student required to take prescribed medication during the school day if the school receives a completed School Medication Permission Form signed by an individual who the State of California licenses to prescribe medication and the student’s parent or guardian. Upon written physician authorization,

written parent’s consent, and school nurse approval, a student may be allowed to carry and self-administer prescription auto-injectable epinephrine or prescription inhaled asthma medication only. Medication forms can be obtained from the school

Health Office. No medication, including herbal remedies or other over-the-counter drugs, will be stored or dispensed at school without the physician's and parent's written authorization. All medication permits must be renewed at the beginning

of the school year before school employees may assist with medication administration. The parent must supply medication in the original prescription or over-the-counter container, clearly labeled with the student’s name, medication, dosage, and directions. Parents of a student on continuing medication for a non-episodic condition must inform the school nurse or designated school personnel of the medication being taken, its dosage, and the name of the prescribing physician.

School Medication Permission Form: English | Spanish 

This page is part of the ongoing efforts to increase awareness of the fentanyl crisis plaguing the nation.

In response to the national opioid crisis, San José Unified has implemented a stock Naloxone program, sometimes referred to by the brand name Narcan©. As of December 2024, all SJUSD school health offices have been equipped with Naloxone and have two or more staff members trained to administer it.

This life-saving medication restores normal breathing to a person whose breathing has slowed or stopped because of an opioid overdose. Additionally, we continue to partner with health organizations to raise awareness, prevent drug use, and reduce harm.

Types of Fentanyl:

Medical grade (prescribed by a doctor) is a synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and is used as a pain reliever like oxycodone and morphine. Prescribed fentanyl is colorless and odorless and can cause rapid respiratory depression, resulting in accidental death.

Illegally made (illicit or “street” fentanyl) is sometimes mixed with other highly addictive and dangerous drugs like heroin and cocaine. Sometimes, street fentanyl is made with bright colors to resemble candy and appeal to youth. Even one small dose of street fentanyl, the equivalent of 5-7 grains of salt, can be deadly.

What Can I Do?

Know the signs of an overdose: Pinpoint pupils, loss of consciousness, unresponsiveness, irregular breathing, and inability to speak are a few of the signs to look out for.

Be prepared to call for help: If you witness someone experiencing the symptoms of an overdose, call 911 and request emergency medical services. California has Good Samaritan laws, which provide immunity to those who call emergency services when experiencing or witnessing an overdose.

What is Naloxone?
Naloxone is a medication called an “opioid antagonist” that is used to counter the effects of opioid overdose. Naloxone has no potential for abuse and is a temporary drug sprayed up the nose that wears off in 20-90 minutes.

Naloxone is used in overdoses to counteract life-threatening central nervous system and respiratory system issues, allowing an overdose victim to breathe normally. Often administered by emergency response personnel, naloxone can also be administered by minimally trained lay people, including nurses, teachers, and police officers.

Resources

Protect yourself from the dangers of fentanyl - CDC video - 1:01 minute
CDPH Fentanyl Information Department of Education, California: Combatting Fentanyl - Actions and Resources
CDPH Naloxone Information
California Overdose Surveillance Dashboard
CDPH Substance Use Prevention Resources for Families and Schools
National Health Institute (NIH) Drug Abuse Facts
Santa Clara County Fentanyl Facts

Individuals who are seeking health insurance may access plans through Covered California. Please visit https://www.coveredca.com/ to compare plans, seek financial assistance, apply, or speak with a representative.

Forms and Reference Documents

San José Unified Community Resource Guide English | Spanish 

Referral form for comprehensive physical and mental services and access to basic needs 

Santa Clara County immunization services