The Communicable Disease Control Program serves to prevent and control the spread of communicable diseases through disease surveillance and control, immunization, travel health education and treatment.
To ensure the safety of the community, the Communicable Diseases and the Venereal Diseases Acts requires physicians, healthcare providers and labs to report all “reportable” diseases to the Regional Health Authorities and the Department of Health and Community Services. Any variations in disease patterns, outside of what is normally expected in the population are investigated and controlled. Some examples include investigation and control of outbreaks of food and water-borne illness, tuberculosis, measles, and unidentified symptoms or disease syndromes in the population.
The Immunization program involves the vaccination of all persons in the region against certain communicable diseases. Included in this program is policy development, maintenance of vaccine supplies, maintenance of immunization records and ad hoc immunization programs directed to specific outbreak control measures.
Communicable Disease Control Services can be contacted at 637-5417
Provincial Immunization Manual:
http://www.health.gov.nl.ca/health/publications/immunization/default.htm
Provincial CDC Manual:
http://www.health.gov.nl.ca/health/publications/dcm/dcontrlmanual.htm