As a residential community of over 500 campers and staff where we sleep, eat, sing, and play together it is essential that we work together to reduce the spread of communicable illnesses.
The most important part of creating a healthy 2025 camp community is for campers to arrive at camp healthy.
The Communicable Illness safety guidelines below provide an overview of how we strive to prevent the spread of illness and our response to illness. We will communicate any changes to families regarding all Communicable Illnesses via email and by updating the Communicable Illness Planning page of our website. Thank you in advance for your flexibility.
What pre-arrival expectations have been decided at this time?
Arriving to Camp Healthy
The most important thing you can do to ensure your child’s camp experience continues uninterrupted is to arrive at camp healthy. If your child is exposed to a communicable illness prior to arrival, or if there is a communicable illness in your household in the week prior to camp, please notify Huckins Health Staff.
All campers and staff must be fully vaccinated in accordance with the State of New Hampshire requirements, prior to arrival, including vaccinations for respiratory illnesses which can spread quickly in our camp community. A copy of camper’s immunization records must be on-file with camp prior to camper’s arrival at Huckins.
Any exemptions must follow the State of New Hampshire exemption requirements. Please note that in a communicable illness outbreak at camp, unimmunized campers may need to leave camp immediately for their health and safety. Parents are responsible for ensuring their child is picked up from camp within 8 hours.
The above requirements may change depending on local and nationwide disease outbreaks. We will follow local or state board of health recommendations and CDC guidance.
Testing for Communicable Illnesses at Camp
We can test for flu, strep throat, and COVID in our camp health center. Our team of camp nurses and nurse practitioners will determine the testing to be completed if your child has a fever. If necessary, we may utilize our collaborating local urgent care. Parents/Guardians will be contacted if their child is evaluated by a provider outside of camp. Parents/Guardians will also be contacted if treatment is initiated by our Health Care staff.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What happens if my camper is symptomatic and tests positive for a communicable illness?
Parents/Guardians will be contacted if their camper tests positive for a communicable illness. Their camper will be treated according to standard health care practices and will stay in the health center according to CDC guidance. If a camper does not improve in 36-48 hours, they may need to go home to recover and/or seek further evaluation.
If it is determined a camper needs to go home due to illness, they may be moved to an isolation room in the Health Center until a parent/guardian or emergency contact arrives to pick them up. Please plan so your camper can be picked up within 8 hours either by family or their emergency contact.
As a large residential community, illness can spread quickly through camp. Some illnesses may require medication or extended isolation and rest. Examples of illnesses that may require a camper to stay at the health center or go home include:
- Covid-19: We will follow CDC guidance. A camper may need to leave camp for up to 5 days or until they test negative, and their symptoms improve.
- Strep Throat: Camper can stay but will remain in the health center until they have been on antibiotics for 12-24 hours, have improving symptoms, and are fever free. If symptoms do not improve within 24-36 hours, a camper may need to go home until they are fever-free for 24 hours.
- Impetigo: Following CDC guidelines, a camper may return to the cabin once antibiotics (topical or oral depending on severity) have been started AND if they can cover all lesions. If they cannot cover all lesions, they must stay in the health center until they have completed 24 hours of medication.
- Stomach Bugs/Norovirus: The camper must stay in the health center until vomiting and diarrhea have resolved, and they are fever free for 24 hours. If unable to control bodily secretions within 24 hours, the camper must leave until fever-free and vomiting and diarrhea have stopped.
- Fever of Unknown Origin: If camper has been with a fever for more than 48 hours, parents will be contacted to come pick up their camper.
- Measles: If a camper shows signs of measles, they will immediately be quarantined, and proper state authorities will be notified. Any camper that has not been vaccinated against measles will have to leave camp immediately and follow guidance from the State.
2. What happens if my camper is diagnosed with a non-communicable illness?
Campers diagnosed with non-contagious illnesses such as ear infections, urinary tract infections, swimmer’s ear, or cellulitis will be allowed to return to their cabin once they are fever free and their symptoms have improved. If they have no fever, they will be able to return immediately or may rest in the health center until their symptoms improve. If they do not improve with treatment after 48 hours, the camper may need to leave for further evaluation.
We are grateful to have an outstanding team of experienced nurses on staff, as well as excellent resources they can reach out to for support in our local medical providers and Medical Advisory Committee. The Health Center staff reserve the right to use their medical and nursing judgment to send a camper home if there is a concern about a worsening condition that is not responding to the treatments available at camp or the local clinic. Every attempt will be made to ensure the safety and well-being of your camper and the camp community.
3. What happens if a camper has a communicable illness in my child’s cabin?
If a camper has a communicable illness, our camp nurses will make a plan for that camper. Other campers in the cabin will continue camp as normal. Parents of exposed campers will be notified before they leave camp if the communicable illness requires futher monitoring. This will be done on a case-by-case basis and determined by the Health Center staff and the Camp Director.
4. What happens if my child is sick when they get home?
Upon their return home, we suggest you check in with your child and if there are any changes, or concerns about their health, you can contact your child’s medical provider at home and then communicate with the health team.
Please understand that we cannot provide health information to individuals that are not the legal parent/guardian. For example, if a parent/guardian is told by their child that another camper in their cabin was sick and went home, we cannot give out that camper’s name or confirm any diagnosis. If the illness was a CDC reportable disease, we will follow state guidelines regarding notifications. Any notifications shared by those affected in that cabin will not include specific identifying information per state.