Pandemic Data Management and Surveillance

In order to predict and monitor pandemics, proper surveillance tools must be used to aid public health officials and healthcare facilities in mitigating pandemics and their associated clinical, operational, and financial impacts. This page contains evidence-based recommendations, tools, and software from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other clinical organizations that will guide pandemic preparedness across the healthcare continuum of care. Access to real-time and high quality surveillance data can be particularly useful with stopping pandemics in their tracks and also will aid the public health response efforts associated with any pandemic.

CDC Community Flu 2.0

CommunityFlu is a software program that simulates the spread of influenza through a model community, and the impact of a variety of potential interventions (e.g., vaccinations, school closings, wearing of face masks, patient and household isolation/self-quarantine). CommunityFlu also calculates the cost, in terms of workdays lost, of influenza and the associated interventions.

CDC FluAid 2.0

FluAid is a test version of software created by programmers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is designed to assist state and local level planners in preparing for the next influenza pandemic by providing estimates of potential impact specific to their locality.

CDC FluSurge 2.0

FluSurge is a spreadsheet-based model which provides hospital administrators and public health officials estimates of the surge in demand for hospital-based services during the next influenza pandemic.

CDC FluWorkLoss 1.0

FluWorkLoss estimates the potential number of days lost from work due to an influenza pandemic. Users can change almost any input value, such as the number of workdays assumed lost when a worker becomes ill or the number of workdays lost due to a worker staying home to care for a family member.

PanVAX Tool for Pandemic Vaccination Planning

The PanVAX tool is a Microsoft Excel-based instrument that guides jurisdictional planning and outreach efforts during preparedness activities. The tool helps local planners understand how their vaccine providers (i.e., pharmacies, clinics, hospitals, employers, schools, points of dispensing) might contribute to the community’s vaccination response during a severe pandemic.

Emergency Responder Health Monitoring and Surveillance

The Emergency Responder Health Monitoring and Surveillance™ (ERHMSTM) framework provides recommendations for protecting emergency responders during small and large emergencies in any setting. It is for use by all who are involved in the deployment and protection of emergency responders, including: incident command staff, response organization leadership, health, safety and medical personnel, and emergency responders.

MedCon

The MedCon:Pre-Event tool is designed to estimate the baseline medical care requirements (per 100,000 unit of population) following a disaster due to terrorism or natural phenomenon. The tool helps to estimate the number of persons that would require medical care following a disaster for a displaced population with pre-existing medical conditions.

Epi-X

CDC’s Epidemic Information Exchange (Epi-X) is a secure, web-based network that serves as a powerful information exchange. It connects public health professionals involved in identifying, investigating, and responding to public health threats.

Public Health Assessment and Surveillance Tools

The Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, Health Studies Branch (DEHHE/HSB) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed the Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) toolkit to assist personnel from any local, regional, state, or federal public health departments in conducting the CASPER during disaster.

Cities Readiness Initiative

The Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) is part of the federal medical response infrastructure and can supplement medical countermeasures needed by states, tribal nations, territories and the largest metropolitan areas during public health emergencies. The supplies, medicines, and devices for lifesaving care contained in the stockpile can be used as a short- term, stopgap buffer when the immediate supply of these materials may not be available or sufficient.

EMAC

The Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) is an interstate mutual aid agreement that provides a mechanism for sharing personnel, equipment and resources among states during emergencies and disasters.

CDC Health Alert Network

CDC’s Health Alert Network (HAN) is CDC’s primary method of sharing cleared information about urgent public health incidents with public information officers; federal, state, territorial, tribal, and local public health practitioners; clinicians; and public health laboratories.

Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity

COCA prepares clinicians to respond to emerging health threats and public health emergencies by communicating relevant, timely information related to disease outbreaks, disasters, terrorism events, and other health alerts.

Additional Tools and Resources

SHEA/ CDC Outbreak Response Training Program
This program is a core-level training program for infection preventionists, public health professionals, and infectious diseases clinicians on how to appropriately handle an outbreak within healthcare facilities.
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Radiation Emergencies: Information for Clinicians
The threat of terrorism or potential radiological accidents is a real threat in healthcare facilities that must be taken seriously. Proper preparedness, training, and appropriate PPE is key to successfully handling any radiation emergency.
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Zika Zone: Trainings
While Zika virus has not been a significant public health threat, vectorborne illnesses can be serious threats to populations and public health.
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Ebola Resources
Ebola virus and other hemorrhagic infectious diseases continue to pose a significant threat to the globe. The CDC provides a host of training modules and information for clinicians.
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Health Literacy Training for Public Health Professionals
Any public health message must be written in an appropriate manner to reach all intended audiences. Health Literary training is available at no charge from the CDC to aid health communications professionals in established highly effective messages to target patients.
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Learning Connection Quick – Learn Lessons
The CDC TRAIN system is the nation’s leading and free public health education learning management system and contains a wide variety of accredited clinical education programs.
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Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Centers (PERLCs)
The CDC has developed learning centers to help public health professionals develop core competencies in pandemic responsiveness. These centers serve as conduits for bring various public health resources together.
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Travelers' Health Resources and Training
Travel health can be a complicated task for even seasoned healthcare professionals. This section contains valuable CDC resources to help clinicians manage any travel-related threats for patients.
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