Communicable diseases can be transmitted from person-to-person. Examples include measles, pertussis (whooping cough), hepatitis B and influenza.
Do bugs need drugs? (DBND) is a community education program about hand washing and responsible use of antibiotics. Materials are available for school staff, healthcare professionals and the public that explain why antibiotic resistance is an issue and steps to prevent antibiotic resistance from developing.
Protect the public from communicable diseases by distributing vaccines, immunizing, detecting and controlling outbreaks and providing public health advice and education.
- There is a public health nurse attached to each elementary and high school across the North Shore. Please call your school public health nurse if you have any concerns or questions at (604) 983-6700. He or she will work closely with you to assess any situations and advise on appropriate control measures.
- The public health nurse may contact absent students or staff to get more information and provide intervention, recommendations and follow up.
- Communicate any unusual clusters of illness such as a diarrhea outbreak, rash-like illnesses, or anything else that may be of concern to your school public health nurse at (604) 983-6700.
- Foster a positive attitude in the classroom about keeping healthy through disease prevention (hand washing, cough etiquette, and routine practices).
- Provide public health with student directory and homeroom/class lists as requested.
- Distribute information and exposure letters to parents and caregivers.
- Direct all communicable disease questions to the school public health nurse.
- Keep your child home from school if they are unwell.
- Report absence due to illness to your school’s call back line.
When should I keep my sick child home from school?
For up-to-date information about seasonal influenza, visit our flu page, Immunize BC or Healthy Canadians.
Sneezes and diseases - An excellent resource for teachers, parents, and caregivers. The guide covers prevention, facts about diarrhea, vomiting and fever, sneezes and diseases, and infestation fact sheets.