The Epidemiology Department is responsible for preventive health services in contagious disease epidemiology in the area covered by the Institute of Public Health Koper.
The basic task of the Epidemiology Department is to establish a uniform medical doctrine and introduce new working methods in contagious disease epidemiology. The Epidemiology Department fulfils statutorily stipulated tasks, which are primarily laid down in the Contagious Disease Act, and carries out activities by following guidelines from the national programme pertaining to contagious disease epidemiology.
The Epidemiology Department monitors and studies the trends of contagious diseases in the local area, Republic of Slovenia and worldwide, providing a basis for immediately taking appropriate epidemiological measures.
The Department monitors the implementation of the immunization programme and follows the course of mandatory vaccination in accordance with the programme for preschool and school children as well as young people. In this way, it gives an assessment of excessive vaccination in the local area. The Department provides professional help in case of deficiencies in the implementation of the immunization programme, thereby rectifying all faults. In addition, it oversees tetanus vaccination and other forms of non-mandatory vaccination.
The Epidemiology Department also carries out all mandatory vaccinations in line with the immunization programme for special population groups, namely:
- hepatitis B vaccination of contacts and family members of HbsAg carriers;
- flu and pneumococcus vaccination in autumn and winter, which is especially recommendable for population groups at high risk;
- vaccination of passengers in international traffic and travel counselling.
Professional cooperation with the veterinary service and veterinary inspection is part and parcel of measures for rabies prevention in people, whereby the Epidemiology Department monitors rabies trends and offers adequate professional help to injured parties.
The Epidemiology Department participates in professional groups organized by the Institute of Public Health of the Republic of Slovenia and gives professional instruction to health services with the aim of contagious disease prevention.
The Department issues the Epidemiology Rapporteur every month. The paper informs health services in the area about contagious disease trends in respective municipalities and presents topical issues in contagious disease epidemiology.
The Epidemiology Department sees its future in further professional development. In the past, the Department took on the role of hygiene and epidemiological service which focused all its energy and knowledge on eradicating contagious diseases.