How long to keep a child out of school after starting antibiotics for strep throat?

Your child should be fever- free for at least 24 hours before sending him/her back to school. Your child should have not vomited for 48 hours before you send him/her back to school. Your child should have had no diarrhea for 24 hours before you send him/her back to school. When a child has a stomach bug, it is common for there to be a 24 hour period of calm after the vomiting phase of the illness before the diarrhea starts. Therefore, 48 hours after vomiting is the minimum time you need to wait to make sure that your child is done having symptoms. (Although, your child will still be contagious for at least 3 days after all symptoms have stopped.) Your child should be able to eat normally, poop normally, and should feel well enough to want to participate in activities he/she enjoys. When in doubt, please keep your child home an extra day or two. If you allow your child to return to school too soon, you risk infecting teachers and other students and also risk your child catching a secondary illness because of his/her weakened condition. Gastrointestinal illnesses can be spread easily in a school setting. Make sure your child (and other family members) wash hands frequently....not only during illness, but always. It is the number one defense.