[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 215 (Wednesday, November 8, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51838-51839]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-24315]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-18-1039]


Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has submitted the information 
collection request titled Information Collection on Cause-Specific 
Absenteeism in Schools and Evaluation of Influenza Transmission within 
Student Households to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
review and approval. CDC previously published a ``Proposed Data 
Collection Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations'' notice on 
April 27, 2017 to obtain comments from the public and affected 
agencies. CDC received two comments related to the previous notice. 
This notice serves to allow an additional 30 days for public and 
affected agency comments.
    CDC will accept all comments for this proposed information 
collection project. The Office of Management and Budget is particularly 
interested in comments that:
    (a) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    (b) Evaluate the accuracy of the agencies estimate of the burden of 
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    (c) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected;
    (d) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including, through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting 
electronic submission of responses; and
    (e) Assess information collection costs.
    To request additional information on the proposed project or to 
obtain a copy of the information collection plan and instruments, call 
(404) 639-7570 or send an email to [email protected]. Direct written comments 
and/or suggestions regarding the items contained in this notice to the 
Attention: CDC Desk Officer, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th 
Street NW., Washington, DC 20503 or by fax to (202) 395-5806. Provide 
written comments within 30 days of notice publication.

Proposed Project

    Information Collection on Cause-Specific Absenteeism in Schools and 
Evaluation of Influenza Transmission within Student Households--
Revision--National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases 
(NCEZID), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    The CDC requests approval of a revised information collection to 
improve our understanding of the role of influenza-like illness (ILI)-
specific absenteeism in schools in predicting community-wide influenza 
transmission and to detect within-household transmission of influenza 
in households from which a student has been absent from school due to 
ILI.
    This information collection request aligns DGMQ/CDC's mission to 
reduce morbidity and mortality in mobile

[[Page 51839]]

populations, and to prevent the introduction, transmission, or spread 
of communicable diseases within the United States. Insights gained from 
this information collection will assist in pandemic preparedness 
planning and implementation of CDC Pre-Pandemic Guidance on the use of 
school related measures, including school closures, to slow 
transmission during an influenza pandemic.
    School closures were considered an important measure during the 
earliest stage of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, because a pandemic vaccine 
was not available until October (six months later), and sufficient 
stocks to immunize all school-age children were not available until 
December. However, retrospective review of the U.S. government response 
to the pandemic identified a limited evidence-base regarding the 
effectiveness, acceptability, and feasibility of various school related 
measures during mild or moderately severe pandemics. Guidance updates 
will require an evidence-based rationale for determining the 
appropriate triggers, timing, and duration of school related measures, 
including school closures, during a pandemic.
    CDC staff proposes that the information collection for this project 
will target adult and child populations in a school district in 
Wisconsin. CDC will collect reports of individual student symptoms, 
vaccination status, recent travel, recent exposure to people with 
influenza symptoms, and duration of illness. In accordance with the 
revised proposal, CDC will also collect reports on household 
composition, and influenza vaccination status; symptoms and severity of 
illness; related healthcare visits; and missed work or school of the 
participating students' household members. This information 
accomplished through telephone and in-person interviews.
    CDC will use findings obtained from this information to inform and 
update CDC's Pre-pandemic Guidance on the implementation of school 
related measures to prevent the spread of influenza, especially school 
closures. Both state and local health departments in the United States 
use this guidance as an important planning and reference tool.
    CDC has enrolled in the study 651 students absent from school due 
to ILI since gaining OMB approval in December 2014, 651 students absent 
from school due to ILI. Of them, 58% were positive for at least one 
respiratory pathogen included in the PCR panel that tests for the 
presence of 17 common respiratory viruses, and 27% of the students were 
found to be positive for influenza. It was demonstrated that 
absenteeism due to ILI in school children was highly correlated with 
PCR-confirmed influenza in enrolled school children (r = 0.73; P < 
0.001) and with medically-attended influenza in the surrounding 
community (r = 0.72; P < 0.001) suggesting that ILI-specific school 
absenteeism can be considered a useful tool for predicting influenza 
outbreaks in the surrounding community. However, researchers require 
more observations during influenza seasons caused by other influenza 
strains to make these findings more robust.
    This revision adds a household transmission component to the 
ongoing approved information collection. In addition to collecting data 
and biospecimens from students who were absent from school because of 
the ILI, information and biospecimens will also be collected from 
household members of these students. This revision aims to enhance 
current knowledge and understanding of introduction of influenza 
infection to households that have school-age children as well as 
within-household transmission.
    There are no costs to the respondents other than their time. The 
total estimated annual burden hours are 419.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                                      Average
                                                                     Number of       Number of      burden per
          Type of respondents                   Form name           respondents    responses per   response  (in
                                                                                    respondent        hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Parents of children/adolescents or      Screening Form..........             345               1            5/60
 adult students (>=18 yo) attending     Acute Respiratory                    300               1           15/60
 schools.                                Infection and Influenza
                                         Surveillance Form.
                                        Household Study Form....             300               1            5/60
Student...............................  Biospecimen collection..             300               2            5/60
Household members.....................  Household Study Form....             720               2           10/60
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Leroy A. Richardson,
Chief, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific 
Integrity, Office of the Associate Director for Science, Office of the 
Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2017-24315 Filed 11-7-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P