[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 69 (Thursday, April 10, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17648-17649]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-8748]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-03-57]


Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

    In compliance with the requirement of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 for opportunity for public comment on 
proposed data collection projects, the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects. 
To request more information on the proposed projects or to obtain a 
copy of the data collection plans and instruments, call the CDC Reports 
Clearance Officer on (404) 498-1210. CDC is requesting an emergency 
clearance for this data collection with a two week public comment 
period. CDC is requesting OMB approval of this package 7 days after the 
end of the public comment period.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology. Send comments to Seleda M. Perryman, 
CDC Assistant Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D24, 
Atlanta, GA 30333. Written comments should be received within 14 days 
of this notice.
    Proposed Project: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Outbreak 
Investigation--New--National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID), 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The purpose of this 
project is to respond to an outbreak of unknown etiology in the United 
States and abroad. Since late February 2003, CDC has been supporting 
the World Health Organization (WHO) in the investigation of a 
multicountry outbreak of atypical pneumonia of unknown etiology. The 
illness is being referred to as severe acute respiratory syndrome 
(SARS). By March 2003, cases of SARS were reported in the U.S. among 
travelers with a travel history to one or more of the three provinces 
in Asia where the SARS outbreak was first reported.
    In order to investigate this outbreak in the U.S., several 
collections of information are required. Currently, CDC is collecting 
this information under an Epidemic Aid (epi-aid) which will expire in 
30 days. To preserve continuity in the surveillance information 
collected by public health investigators, CDC is requesting a 6-month 
emergency clearance on the current surveillance forms. The information 
collected includes contact information for travelers on a flight with a 
person or persons suspected of having SARS, health care work exposures, 
and

[[Page 17649]]

case report forms. There is no cost to the respondent.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                            Number of   Avg. burden/    Total
                Form                        Respondent         Number of    responses/    response      burden
                                                              respondents   respondent    (in hrs)      hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International SARS case reports....  Caseworker.............          500            1        30/60          250
SARS contact information...........  Airline passengers.....        3,000            1         5/60          250
SARS retrospective exposure form...  Quarantine inspector...        1,000            1         5/60           83
SARS screening form................  Health care workers....          330            1        10/60           55
Health care worker exposure form...  Health care workers....          500            1        20/60          167
Unprotected HCW form...............  Health care workers....          500            1        20/60          167
SARS case Report intake form.......  Health care workers/             750            1            1          750
                                      epidemiologists.
                                    --------------------------
    Total..........................                           ...........  ...........  ...........        1,722
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Dated: April 4, 2003.
Thomas Bartenfeld,
Acting Associate Director for Policy, Planning and Evaluation, Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 03-8748 Filed 4-9-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P