It also coordinates the Department of Transportation mandated drug screening program and conducts periodic fire and police physicals. This Bureau is concerned with the prevention, surveillance, detection, suppression, and treatment of communicable diseases. Goals are accomplished through epidemiological investigations, control measures, prevention activities, testing, and treatment services. In addition, an epidemiologist receives reports of communicable diseases from local medical providers and coordinates surveillance, investigation, and follow up activities. This program provides routine childhood and adult immunizations to a host of community partners including Well Child Clinics, WIC, the downtown Immunization Clinic, daycare centers, Headstart programs, and churches.
Routine immunizations are available on a walk-in basis during scheduled clinic days around the city.
The Infant Action Program educates parents in the community about benefits of immunizations through promotional events and health fairs. An automated immunization registry is in use for record keeping and vaccine inventory. Additionally, the epidemiology staff tracks and provides necessary information to other units within the health department who initiate the interventions to contain the outbreak events. It also makes field investigations for partner notification. The Health District operates a regional laboratory for the Texas Department of Health which supports the clinical and environmental services of the Health District and surrounding counties.