[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 38 (Thursday, February 26, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8970-8971]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-4230]


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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)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                    Weekly Morbidity Report Respondent Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
States.........................                50                52  1                                      2600
Territories....................                 5                52  1@1                                     156
                                                                     4@ 30/60
Cities.........................                 2                52  1                                       104
                                -------------------
    Subtotals..................                57  ................  .........................              2860
--------------------------------
                               CDC 43.5 Weekly Mortality Report Respondent Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
City health officers or Vital                 122                52  12/60                                  1269
 statistics registrars.
--------------------------------
                                        Annual Summary Respondent Burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
States.........................                50                 1  14                                      700
Territories....................                 5                 1  14                                       70
Cities.........................                 2                 1  14                                       28
    Subtotals..................  ................  ................  .........................               798
                                -------------------
        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