A core tenet of public health is preventing and managing infectious disease. Public health agencies rapidly identify and control outbreaks, support disease elimination, and prevent and respond to emerging threats.
ASTHO helps state and territorial public health agencies prevent and control infectious diseases and associated outbreaks through immunization services, infectious disease prevention programs, surveillance, and outbreak response. Additionally, ASTHO seeks to advance health equity in infectious disease prevention and control through programmatic and policy work.
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Making Contact: A Training for COVID-19 Case Investigators and Contact Tracers
Making Contact is an online course that provides an entry-level foundation in remote COVID-19 case investigation and contact tracing. The material includes how to identify, assess, and manage cases and close contacts. Lessons are available on demand and are free of charge.
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COVID-19 Vaccine Comparison Chart
During the pandemic three COVID-19 vaccines produced by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Janssen Biotech, Inc. were developed and administered in the United States. A listing of key details for each vaccine in this document, which is updated regularly.
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Building Community Action Teams: A Framework for Improving Influenza Immunization Uptake
This framework helps health agencies develop and utilize community action teams to strengthen community partnerships and improve influenza immunization uptake and other public health outcomes.
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Summary of FY24 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill
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State Health Officials Alarmed by U.S. Measles Outbreaks, Stress the Importance of Adhering to Established Public Health Practices and Vaccinating the Unvaccinated
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Containing and Preventing the Spread of Infectious Disease: A Cornerstone of Public Health
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From the Chief Medical Officer: Preventing Respiratory Disease Spread with Less Authority, More Influence
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ASTHO’s Infectious Disease Policy Committee analyzes new and emerging infectious disease issues and provides state health agency implementation perspectives through development of organizational policy statements, review of federal guidance and policy documents, representation on national committees and workgroups, and engagement with partners and funders.
The Council for Outbreak Response: Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistant Pathogens (CORHA) aims to improve practices and policies at the local, state, and national levels for detection, investigation, control, and prevention of HAI/AR outbreaks across the healthcare continuum. This group convenes state and territorial health agency staff and multi-sector partners to discuss promising practices and lessons learned.