Communicable and infectious diseases are often used interchangeably, but there are slight differences between the two terms:
- Communicable Diseases: These are illnesses caused by infectious agents (such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites) that can be spread directly or indirectly from person to person, animal to person, or through the environment.
- Infectious Diseases: These are disorders caused by pathogenic microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, parasites, or fungi.
- Infectious diseases can be communicable (easily spread from person to person) or non-communicable.
- Non-communicable infectious diseases are those that are not transmitted from person to person, such as tetanus or botulism.
In summary, all communicable diseases are infectious, but not all infectious diseases are communicable.
Resources
Daily Health Check for Students
BC Center for Disease Control
Immunize BC
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On ImmunizeBC, you can find information about:
- what vaccines are and how they work
- recommended vaccines
- vaccine-preventable diseases
- the safety of vaccines
- school immunization schedules
The site also includes a clinic finder and tools and resources to help you stay up to date about vaccines and vaccinations.
Childhood Immunization Coverage Dashboard
- interactive tool provides summary statistics on a variety of immunization coverage measures among children in BC
- more information about immunization coverage assessment in BC, including immunization coverage reports, is available on the Immunization Coverage page
Public Health Agency of Canada
- The Public Health Agency of Canada is part of the federal health portfolio. Its activities focus on preventing disease and injuries, responding to public health threats, promoting good physical and mental health, and providing information to support informed decision making.
COVID-19
Historical COVID Documents & Resources
