[Federal Register: February 26, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 38)]
[Notices]
[Page 8970-8971]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr26fe04-82]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[30Day-04-27]
Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and
Recommendations
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes a
list of information collection requests under review by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction
Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a copy of these requests, call
the CDC Reports Clearance Officer at (404) 498-1210. Send written
comments to CDC, Desk Officer, Human Resources and Housing Branch, New
Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503 or by fax
to (202) 395-6974. Written comments should be received within 30 days
of this notice.
Proposed Project: Weekly Morbidity and Mortality Reports and Annual
Morbidity Series, OMB No. 0920-0007--Extension--Epidemiology Program
Office (EPO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Background
In 1878, Congress authorized the U.S. Marine Hospital Service
(later renamed the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) to collect
morbidity reports on cholera, smallpox, plague, and yellow fever from
U.S. consuls overseas; this information was to be used for instituting
quarantine measures to prevent the introduction and spread of these
diseases into the United States. In 1879, a specific Congressional
appropriation was made for the collection and publication of reports of
these notifiable diseases. Congress expanded the authority for weekly
reporting and publication in 1893 to include data from state and
municipal authorities throughout the United States. To increase the
uniformity of the data, Congress enacted a law in 1902 directing the
Surgeon General of the Public Health Service (PHS) to provide forms for
the collection and compilation of data and for the publication of
reports at the national level.
Reports on notifiable diseases were received from very few states
and cities prior to 1900, but gradually more states submitted monthly
and annual summaries. In 1912, state and territorial health
authorities--in conjunction with PHS--recommended immediate telegraphic
reports of five diseases and monthly reporting by letter of 10
additional diseases, but it was not until after 1925 that all states
reported regularly. In 1942, the collection, compilation, and
publication of morbidity statistics, under the direction of the
Division of Sanitary Reports and Statistics, PHS, was transferred to
the Division of Public Health Methods, PHS.
A PHS study in 1948 led to a revision of the morbidity reporting
procedures, and in 1949 morbidity reporting activities were transferred
to the National Office of Vital Statistics. Another committee in PHS
presented a revised plan to the Association of State and Territorial
Health Officers (ASTHO) at its meeting in Washington, DC, October 1950.
ASTHO authorized a Conference of State and Territorial Epidemiologists
(CSTE) for the purpose of determining the diseases that should be
reported by the states to PHS. Beginning in 1951, national meetings of
CSTE were held every two years until 1974, then annually thereafter.
In 1961, responsibility for the collection of data on nationally
notifiable diseases and deaths in 122 U.S. cities was transferred from
the National Office of Vital Statistics to CDC. For 37 years the
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) has consistently served as
CDC premier communication channel for disease outbreaks and trends in
health and health behavior. In collaboration with the Council of State
and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE), CDC has demonstrated the
efficiency and effectiveness of computer transmission of data. The data
collected electronically for publication in the MMWR provides
information which CDC and State epidemiologists use to detail and more
effectively interrupt outbreaks. Reporting also provides the timely
information needed to measure and demonstrate the impact of changed
immunization laws or a new therapeutic measure. Users of data include,
but are not limited to, congressional offices, state and local health
agencies, health care providers, and other health related groups. The
dissemination of public health information is accomplished through the
MMWR series of publications. The publications consist of the MMWR, the
CDC Surveillance Summaries, the Recommendations and Reports, and the
Annual Summary of
[[Page 8971]]
Notifiable Diseases. The estimated annualized burden is 4927 hours.
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Annual hour
Type of respondents Number of Frequency of Average time per response burden (in
respondents response (in hours) hours)
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Weekly Morbidity Report Respondent Burden
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States......................... 50 52 1 2600
Territories.................... 5 52 1@1 156
Cities......................... 2 52 1 104
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Subtotals.................. 57 ................ ......................... 2860
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CDC 43.5 Weekly Mortality Report Respondent Burden
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City health officers or Vital 122 52 12/60 1269
statistics registrars.
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Annual Summary Respondent Burden
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States......................... 50 1 14 700
Territories.................... 5 1 14 70
Cities......................... 2 1 14 28
Subtotals.................. ................ ................ ......................... 798
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Totals................. 179 ................ ......................... 4927
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Dated: February 18, 2004.
Alvin Hall,
Director, Management Analysis and Services Office, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 04-4230 Filed 2-25-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P