Zoster (Shingles) for Schools and Child Care

Information on zoster (shingles) reporting, surveillance, and disease control recommendations for school health personnel and childcare providers.

On this page:
Zoster (shingles) basics
Reporting for schools and child care
Prevention and control in school and child care

Zoster (shingles) basics

Zoster (Shingles) Basics
General information about shingles, including symptoms, complications, treatment, and vaccination.

Reporting for schools and child care

Schools and child cares are to report all confirmed and suspected cases of zoster (shingles) in children under 18 at their facility. Shingles in staff members over the age of 18 is not reportable to MDH. However, if there is any concern about an outbreak of chickenpox, MDH should be called at 651-201-5414 or 1-877-676-5414. Individual cases of zoster (shingles) can be reported using the following methods:

• Online with REDCap using the Vaccine Preventable Disease (VPD) Reporting Form
• For other ways to report visit Reporting Varicella (Chickenpox).

Prevention and control in school and child care

• If an individual with localized shingles can keep the rash completely covered with a bandage, they do not have to be excluded from school or child care settings.
• If the rash cannot be fully covered, exclude children or staff with shingles from schools or child care until all blisters have crusted. This is usually 7 to 10 days after the rash began.
• Disseminated zoster, a more widespread form of shingles, is more infectious than localized disease. If a person has been diagnosed with disseminated zoster, they must be excluded from school or child care settings regardless of whether their lesions can be completely covered.
• Persons with active zoster lesions should avoid contact with pregnant people, immunocompromised people, and people not vaccinated for varicella or zoster.