Module 1 Discussion Post 2

Respond to 1 Classmate?

The source I plan to use to obtain required information for measles will be Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). I feel that each of these sources will provide wealth of information on how to prevent from getting measles, how is transmitted, signs/symptoms, and other key resources I can use as a public health professional.

I will also utilize the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (NNDSS) to obtain statistical data on probable and confirmed cases in the Lake County, Illinois (CDC, 2019). The NNDSS also helps to monitor, control, and prevent many diseases, which will be beneficial in lower the spread and decreasing the chances of outbreaks in communities who are not vaccinated (CDC, 2019).

I will also utilize the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), a website and database that can help provide local health statistics on measles cases. Moreover, IDPH can help provide defense against measles through preventative measures and education (IDPH, n.d.).

The first three I will do as I begin working on an outbreak response plan are:

1. Conduct research on measles.
2. Spot vulnerable communities and conduct risk assessments to recognize potential threats.
3. Implement a plan to protect the community by ensuring everyone get vaccinated and plan for the worse in case of an outbreak.

I would also conduct interviews with people familiar with the area to get both quantitative and qualitative measurements of who’s affected, vaccinated, and unvaccinated.

References

Center for Disease Prevention and Control. (2019). National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System. Retrieved from https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nndss/

Illinois Department of Public Health. (n.d.). About IDPH. Retrieved from https://www.dph.illinois.gov/about-idph