Children who are unwell need to be kept away from school until they are better, Southern District Heath Board medical officer of health Dr Keith Reid says.
''This may mean that children are at home for several days.''
Schools and early childhood centres were not places where sick children should be looked after, he said.
Personal hygiene was the community's best defence against sickness, he said.
That included:
• Washing hands using soap and water and drying thoroughly.
• Catching sneezes in tissues and binning them.
• Keeping away from others if you are unwell.
Damp houses were a problem in New Zealand and children living in them were more likely to have respiratory problems, fevers, sore throats, headaches and skin problems than those in dry homes, he said.
Damp houses were harder to heat, and while the temptation was to try to capture heat in the house by keeping windows closed and the heating on, ventilating the house was also important.
