The most common form of prophylaxis is immunization with an effective vaccine. Risk assessment includes determining the availability of effective immunizations. However important, immunization only serves as an additional layer of protection beyond engineering controls, proper practices and procedures, and the use of personal protective equipment. The offer of immunizations is part of risk management. Medical surveillance ensures that the safeguards decided upon in fact produce the expected health outcomes.
Medical surveillance is part of risk management.
It may include serum banking, monitoring employee health status, and participating in post-exposure management. Additional education may be necessary to ensure the safety of persons working at each biosafety level. The infectious agents whose risk is evaluated often will fall into the following discrete categories. The characteristics of most known infectious agents have been well identified. Information useful to risk assessment can be obtained from laboratory investigations, disease surveillance, and epidemiological studies.