Working to improve the health of the population and the quality of life of the people we serve.

Guidelines for Head Lice Management
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For best control of head lice:

  • The primary responsibility for control of head lice rests with the family and community.
  • Trained volunteers can help families by providing routine head lice screening and parent education.
  • Public health nurses can answer questions about the management of head lice.
  • If a child has head lice they can continue to have contact with others for the remainder of the day. The parents need to be told so that they can begin treatment as soon as possible.
  • To prevent the spread of head lice and ensure that the child has received treatment, information letters should be given to parents and classroom contacts. Download a sample parent and classroom letter.
Children should not be excluded from the community or school due to head lice. If there are problems with the treatment, parents are encouraged to consult a public health nurse for information and resources.

Head lice treatment

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If these are not effective or if you need more information, contact your local public health unit.