Communicable Disease
The team of public health professionals working within the Communicable Disease Program provides a wide range of services within Capital Health. These responsibilities include:
- Surveillance of notifiable diseases as outlined in the Health Act
- Investigation and management of foodborne and waterborne outbreaks in the community in collaboration with other agencies and professionals
- Partnerships with community organizations that work with groups and individuals at risk
- Operation of the International Travel Clinic
- Vaccine distribution to physicians
The Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Team consists of public health nurses, support and management staff, and the Medical Officer of Health.
- We collect information on notifiable diseases and report statistics to provincial health authorities
- We follow-up and educate many individuals who have notifiable diseases to ensure they are treated and to prevent the spread of further disease. In some cases public health will provide free medication (eg. tuberculosis medication) or vaccine
- We investigate and manage outbreaks of disease in the community in collaboration with other agencies and professionals
- We work closely with many community organizations in our roles as consultant, educator and, in some cases, providers of immunizations for some individuals at increased risk of disease
- We provide Travel consultations and immunizations on a fee-for-service basis. The International Travel Clinic is designated by Health Canada as a provider of yellow fever vaccine
- We distribute vaccine to physicians and other health care agencies
Public health nurses and the Medical Officer of Health can be reached at 902-481-5800. (Public health nurses in this program are commonly referred to as "communicable disease nurses".)
The program manager, can be reached at 902-481-5880.
The secretary for the Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Program, can be reached at 902-481-5888. She can help direct your call appropriately.
The Biological Coordinator, can be reached at 902-481-5867. Physicians and health care providers may order vaccine supplies at this number.
The secretary for the International Travel Clinic can be reached at 902-481-5900. This is a frequently used number, and you may reach our voice mail. Please listen to the message provided, as it outlines important travel health information that will help you decide whether you should attend the Travel Clinic.