[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 138 (Thursday, July 19, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39622-39623]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-13985]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30 Day-07-0007]


Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork; Reduction Act Review

    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) 639-5960 or send an e-mail 
to: [email protected]. Send written comments to CDC Desk Officer, Office of 
Management and Budget, Washington, DC or by fax to (202) 395-6974. 
Written comments should be received within 30 days of this notice.

Proposed Project

    Weekly and Annual Morbidity and Mortality Reports, 0920-0007-
Extension--National Center for Health Marketing (NCHM), Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is responsible 
for the collection and dissemination of nationally notifiable diseases' 
information and for monitoring and reporting the impact of epidemic 
influenza on mortality, Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 241).
    In 1878, Congress authorized the U. S. Marine Hospital Service 
(later renamed the U.S. Public Health Service) 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

[[Page 39623]]

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 over 40 years the 
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) has consistently served as 
the CDC premier communication channel for disease outbreaks and trends 
in health and health behavior. The data collected 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 Notifiable Diseases.
    There are no costs to respondents except their time to participate 
in the survey. The total estimated burden hours are 4,927.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                                      Average
                                                                     Number of       Number of      burden per
                           Respondents                              respondents    responses per  respondent (in
                                                                                    respondent        hours)
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States..........................................................              50              52               1
Territories.....................................................               4              52               1
                                                                               1              52           30/60
Cities..........................................................               2              52               1
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Subtotals...................................................              57  ..............  ..............
City health officers or Vital statistics registrars.............             122              52           12/60
States..........................................................              50               1              14
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
Territories.....................................................               5               1              14
Cities..........................................................               2               1              14
    Subtotals...................................................  ..............  ..............  ..............
                                                                 ===============================================
        Totals..................................................             179  ..............  ..............
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    Dated: July 13, 2007.
Maryam I. Daneshvar,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. E7-13985 Filed 7-18-07; 8:45 am]
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