The January 5th federal announcement changing the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule threatens the health of all children and families in America. To ensure optimal health for American families, the U.S. vaccine schedule previously was developed through rigorous review of scientific studies and an understanding of infectious diseases and their consequences. The reviews included impact on children in the United States with input from experts from multiple disciplines, including pediatric, adult, and perinatal medicine; public health and epidemiology; and experts in vaccinology, immunology and infectious diseases. These experts reviewed the peak times of risk to understand when a child needed a vaccine most for protection to prevent severe illness, death, and the long-term outcomes of infection.

The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists is the professional organization of applied epidemiologists. We are the people at public health departments across the country who collect detailed information on children who have infections due to vaccine preventable diseases to understand when, how, and where infections are occurring and who is getting infected. Through this work, we know that delays in children getting vaccinated lead to infections of preventable diseases, hospitalizations, ICU stays, long-term disability from infection, and deaths, as well as hold children back from having healthy lives where they can learn and grow.

It is confusing to parents and dangerous to our communities to provide information that is not based on evidence and may result in significant illness and death. Among U.S. children born in the past 30 years, childhood vaccines have prevented an estimated 508 million illnesses, 32 million hospitalizations, and 1.1 million deaths, resulting in direct savings of $540 billion and societal savings of $2.7 trillion. Promoting a U.S. vaccine schedule or changes that have not been supported by the real-world public health epidemiologic data and a comprehensive, open, informed scientific process does a disservice to children and parents. This is also distracting from the critical need to ensure easy access, and affordable high-quality health care and support services.

Vaccines need to remain widely available in the U.S. for people who choose to be vaccinated, covered by health insurance, and accessible to those who are uninsured through programs like the Vaccines for Children Program. Preventing illness through vaccination doesn’t just save lives, it also keeps Americans out of poverty, kids in school, parents at work, and healthcare costs for families down.

CSTE media contacts: Amy Heldman (aheldman@cste.org) and Matt Cone (mcone@cste.org)

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The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) is the professional home for almost 3,300 applied epidemiologists representing multiple levels of public health practice across state, Tribal, local, and territorial jurisdictions. CSTE is the only national organization dedicated to advancing the field of applied epidemiology and supporting its workforce. For 75 years, CSTE has worked to advance applied epidemiology capacity and effective use of epidemiologic data to guide public health practice, implement policy, and improve health—all in service of our vision of thriving and healthy people and communities everywhere.

The question of whether vaccines, including the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, cause autism has been studied extensively, over decades, in dozens of studies in multiple countries, across different populations, and using a variety of research methods. Studies have been robust, independent, and included thousands of children and all have consistently found no evidence of a link between vaccines and autism. This conclusion is supported by national autism experts, as well as infectious disease and public health experts, and healthcare providers. The diseases that these vaccines prevent can be severe, result in long-term disability after recovery, and can even be deadly.

Robust public health efforts in every state and territory to monitor and detect cases and outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases continue to demonstrate that vaccines prevent children from ever getting sick in the first place, helping them have healthier lives where they can learn and grow.

It is confusing to parents and dangerous to our communities to provide information that is not based on evidence and that may result in significant morbidity and mortality.

Scientists are working hard to understand the causes of autism, which are complex and likely involve a mix of genetic and environmental factors. Promoting non-valid causes of autism also does a disservice to people with autism: The myths distract from the critical need to ensure access and affordable high-quality health care and support services that improve the lives of children and people with autism.

CSTE media contacts: Amy Heldman (aheldman@cste.org) and Matt Cone (mcone@cste.org)

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The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) is the professional home for almost 3,300 applied epidemiologists representing multiple levels of public health practice across state, Tribal, local, and territorial jurisdictions. CSTE is the only national organization dedicated to advancing the field of applied epidemiology and supporting its workforce. For almost 75 years, CSTE has worked to advance applied epidemiology capacity and effective use of epidemiologic data to guide public health practice, implement policy, and improve health—all in service of our vision of thriving and healthy people and communities everywhere.

Our hearts break for the family of police officer David Rose who lost his life protecting his community.

Two hundred bullets struck and caused damage to six federal buildings and over 500 rounds were fired at the CDC campus. We are saddened, alarmed, and deeply concerned about the health and safety of our colleagues. The shooting was an attack on an American workplace and on the people and infrastructure that keep us all healthy and safe.

We are committed to working together to support our nation’s dedicated public servants who comprise the public health workforce and call on others to do the same. It is critical to the health of all communities that CDC and all people working in public health across the country are able to continue to make their invaluable contributions to advancing health and well-being without the fear of harassment or violence.

People choosing public health as a profession are committed to advancing our nation’s health and recognize that good health in every community benefits everyone. It is our hope that all Americans will stand with us to support the vital role that CDC and the entire public health workforce play in supporting safety and well-being in every community. Their expertise and commitment to advancing health deserves all Americans’ unwavering support.

CSTE media contacts:  Amy Heldman (AHeldman@cste.org) and Matt Cone (MCone@cste.org) 

American Public Health Association

Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs

Association of Public Health Nurses

Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors

Association of State and Territorial Health Officials

Association of State and Territorial Public Health Social Workers

Association of Public Health Laboratories

Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health

Big Cities Health Coalition

CDC Foundation

Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists

de Beaumont Foundation

National Association of Chronic Disease Directors

National Association of County and City Health Officials

National Network of Public Health Institutes

Prevention Institute

Public Health Accreditation Board

Safe States Alliance

The Kresge Foundation

Trust for America’s Health

The ability of the U.S. public health system to protect us from current and emerging health threats is at stake.

October 7, 2024 — Today the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) and the Big Cities Health Coalition (BCHC) released the 2024 Epidemiology Capacity Assessment (ECA), which comprises two reports, one focused on states and the other on big cities.

The reports provide a comprehensive analysis of the applied epidemiology workforce in health departments across United States. The 2024 ECA reflects data from all U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and all territories. Comprehensive data are also available on the epidemiology capacity of 35 of the nation’s largest urban health departments. 

The reports reveal that applied epidemiology workforce and capacity needs in health departments remain unmet and are at risk of declining further. Epidemiologists play a critical role in public health by detecting and responding to numerous issues such as injuries and infectious and chronic diseases in our communities.

Key findings from the 2024 ECA include:

The number of epidemiologists has increased since the last assessment in 2021, but jurisdictions anticipate losing a significant number of epidemiology staff with the end of pandemic funding, leaving the U.S. unprepared to respond to looming threats, including H5N1 and Oropouche.

• With the end of COVID-19 funding, states anticipate losing over 1,000, or one-fifth, of their epidemiology workforce. Territorial and big city health departments also anticipate a significant loss of epidemiology staff.  
• Today, even before pandemic funding goes away, an estimated 3,400 additional epidemiologists are needed in state, territorial, and big city health departments to fully meet public health needs. 

The need for additional applied epidemiology staffing remains across all program areas in public health jurisdictions.

• The greatest number of applied epidemiology positions needed varies across states, territories, and big cities, with infectious disease and informatics being the greatest needs in states and big cities.
• States also have needs in chronic disease, maternal and child health, and environmental health; big cities in sexually transmitted infection; and territories in vector-borne/zoonotic diseases and healthcare acquired infections/antibiotic resistance.
• Almost 1,000 vacancies remain in state health departments, not including the number of positions needed to reach ideal epidemiology capacity. Even if all vacant state-level epidemiology positions were filled the number of positions would increase by only 37%, and still far short of the positions needed to fully deliver public health services. 

Across every state and territory, federal funding continues to pay for the vast majority of epidemiology activities and personnel. 

• Applied epidemiology workforce and capacity needs in health departments remain unmet and are in danger of declining without sustained federal funding.
• More than 80% of epidemiology activities and personnel in states and around one-third of funding in big cities is federally funded. Epidemiology activities in territories are almost solely funded by federal dollars.  

The report includes recommendations for policy makers, funders, health department leaders, academic partners, and other key sectors across six domains: data modernization and informatics; funding; collaboration and engagement; workforce pipeline; hiring, recruitment, and retention; and training. 

“Our applied epidemiology workforce is our greatest public health asset whose work identifies health threats and saves lives across communities every day. The 2024 ECA underscores the urgent need for more investment in public health infrastructure and in epidemiologists as a key sector of the workforce,” said Janet Hamilton, MPH, CSTE executive director. “By investing in the epidemiology workforce, we can better protect the health and well-being of all Americans. The most important way to do that is to continue to ensure sustained federal funding—but we all have a part in working together to address the needs of the people who work on the frontlines of public health to keep us healthy and safe.”  

“Epidemiologists are detectives who investigate threats to our communities’ health, so we need them every day, not just when emergencies strike,” said Chrissie Juliano, MPP, BCHC executive director. “Even at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, big city health departments did not have the funding they needed to hire the necessary complement of epidemiologists. As emergency dollars end or are rescinded, the shortfall of these public health data experts threatens to grow even further.” 

The ECA is the most complete and comprehensive national data on the U.S. applied epidemiology workforce. For over 20 years, CSTE has reported on staffing, vacancies, funding, training needs, and other key domains, serving as the voice for applied epidemiologists, the cornerstone of the U.S. public health workforce. Data for the 2024 ECA were collected earlier this spring. 

For more information and to download the full reports, please visit https://eca.cste.org/.

This publication was supported in part by the CDC cooperative agreement number 1 NU38OT000297-02. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of CDC.

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About CSTE: CSTE is an organization of member states and territories representing public health epidemiologists and is the professional home for applied epidemiologists representing multiple levels of public health practice. CSTE works to ensure thriving and healthy people and communities everywhere and to advance public health policy and epidemiologic capacity and also provides information, education, and developmental support of practicing epidemiologists in a wide range of areas as well as expertise for program and data efforts. For more information visit www.cste.org.

About the Big Cities Health Coalition: The Big Cities Health Coalition (BCHC) is a forum for the leaders of America’s largest metropolitan health departments to exchange strategies and jointly address issues to promote and protect the health and safety of the 61 million people they serve. Together, these public health officials directly affect the health and well-being of nearly one in five Americans. For more information, visit bigcitieshealth.org.

CSTE Media Contacts: Amy Burnett Heldman, aheldman@cste.org; Matthew Cone, mcone@cste.org

Big Cities Health Coalition Media Contact: Elizabeth Green, egreen@bigcitieshealth.org 

September 25, 2024  — Today the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) was awarded more than 28 million from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to advance the field of applied epidemiology to maximize health.  

The toolkit provides resources for health department supervisors and individuals to assess applied epidemiology knowledge, skills and abilities across the AEC domains and use the results to identify areas of professional development; inform performance reviews and training plans; and ultimately aid in career maturation, recruitment and retention. Specific components include:

• Toolkit worksheets to provide practical how-to steps to incorporate the competencies into recruitment and retention efforts in health departments 
• Job descriptions (including step-by-step instructions for creating competency-based job descriptions to attract the right candidates for the positions) 
• Worksheets for career portfolios and training plans, as well as competency-based interview questions specifically for the four tiers of epidemiologists
• Free course trainings on CSTE Learn 
• Online, interactive evaluation tools to determine knowledge gaps, inform performance reviews and more 

“The AECs and the toolkit are truly transformative for the field of applied epidemiology,” said Janet Hamilton, MPH, executive director of CSTE. “The competencies shine light on the field in a different way by bringing the unique realities and dynamic needs of those epidemiologists working in health departments into curriculum at schools of public health. And the toolkit, informed by these competencies, helps health departments by providing practical, real-life tools to recruit and retain the best possible people to do this work as efficiently and effectively as possible.”

The competencies that inform this suite of free materials have been cross walked against the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) accreditation standards. An expert panel guided the development of the competencies to help ensure that they meet the needs of the applied epidemiology workforce. The Public Health Foundation’s Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals served as a foundation in developing the AECs.

 This project is funded by Cooperative Agreement number NU38OT000297 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Public Health Infrastructure Center (PHIC). 

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CSTE works to advance public health policy and epidemiologic capacity. We also provide information, education, and developmental support of practicing epidemiologists in a wide range of areas as well as expertise in program and surveillance efforts.

CSTE is an organization of member states and territories representing public health epidemiologists. CSTE works to establish more effective relationships among state and other health agencies. We also provide technical advice and assistance to partner organizations and to federal public health agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

Groundbreaking Impact: Stories of Data Modernization in the Field

The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) announces the launch of the Data Modernization Initiative (DMI) Stories from the Field, a multimedia project featuring stories from dozens of jurisdictions across the country. The stories showcase innovative ways public health departments are working to get better, faster, actionable insights for decision-making at all levels of public health. The project highlights not only technological innovations but also the epidemiologists who have researched and implemented data modernization solutions in areas such as electronic case reporting (eCR), interoperable data systems, syndromic surveillance, and more.

Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology (OPHDST), DMI Stories from the Field is hosted on the new CSTE micro website stories.cste.org. The programs, projects, initiatives, and other efforts revealed in DMI Stories from the Field illustrate the work of epidemiologists who have leveraged DMI funding opportunities and/or developed innovations that moved the needle on the overall data modernization initiative launched by CDC in 2020.

• Much of this work was done under great stress and provides examples of “triumph in the face of adversity” during the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, while the U.S. public health infrastructure and workforce were stretched to the limit.
• These DMI efforts represent a significant return on the investment of funding, staff, time and resources into data modernization to improve public health in jurisdictions across the country. And that impact is not over; many of the initiatives featured in DMI Stories from the Field will continue, be expanded or generate other efforts going forward and in preparation for future threats.

“The work done by the applied epidemiologists sharing these stories is amazing,” said CSTE Executive Director Janet Hamilton. “Our CSTE members, applied epidemiologists across the country, continue to proactively address, as well as respond to, public health issues using innovative data solutions such as these to help make their whole communities healthier.”

CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen praised the project and featured epidemiologists, saying "Public health is a team sport and this is a great example of us working together to protect health and improve lives. These stories highlight critical components of how communities are improving their readiness to investigate and respond to disease threats. CDC and public health partners such as our state epidemiologists are putting data and evidence into action to help people and communities stay healthy."

“We’re grateful to CDC for championing this initiative and for promoting a focused story strategy that we are eagerly taking into 2024 and beyond,” said Hamilton. “It’s more than a campaign; it’s a shift towards making data a compelling force for public health action.”

The stories in DMI Stories from the Field demonstrate the positive impact of increased public health capacity, effective use of data, improved efficiency and automation, and other initiatives now and in the future.

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CSTE works to advance public health policy and epidemiologic capacity. We also provide information, education, and developmental support of practicing epidemiologists in a wide range of areas as well as expertise in program and surveillance efforts.

CSTE is an organization of member states and territories representing public health epidemiologists. CSTE works to establish more effective relationships among state and other health agencies. We also provide technical advice and assistance to partner organizations and to federal public health agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

CSTE Media Contacts: Amy Burnett Heldman, aheldman@cste.org; Matthew Cone, mcone@cste.org

During 2020-2021, our organization and members’ focus remained on responding to the once-in-a-century COVID-19 crisis (pages 19-22), demonstrating determination and resilience. Despite immense challenges, CSTE launched a new Strategic Impact Plan to guide the organization’s work with its four central pillars: Advance, Equip, Advocate, and Optimize, and grew to its largest size ever with over 2,200 members.

We expanded our development of the next generation of applied epidemiologists by adding new workforce opportunities (pages 17-18), while the Applied Epidemiology Fellowship (AEF) grew to its largest-ever class size, providing unparalleled benefit to both jurisdictions and fellows. The Data: Elemental to Health campaign found both new urgency and expanded partnership and generated $1 billion in new federal appropriations. We are honored and humbled by what CSTE members and staff have accomplished during this historic time, as we steadfastly advocate for a modernized public health infrastructure and greater resources for the profession of applied public health epidemiology.

The accomplishments highlighted in this report would not have been possible without the continued commitment of members, federal partners, collaborators, and stakeholders like you. Thank you for your contributions to our 2020-2021 successes and thank you for engaging with our work and the constituencies we serve. Be sure to read more about our activities, events, organizational leaders, award winners, and more at www.cste.org. 

We are currently planning for all conference sessions to be held in-person; however, we will continue to monitor circumstances and public health recommendations for group gatherings. To submit an abstract for the 2023 CSTE Annual Conference, please follow the link above for additional information and complete all required fields in the process by the deadline. Presenting authors will be notified of Planning Committee decisions by Friday, March 24, 2023. Click HERE to review the 2023 Abstract Submission Guidelines.

NEW for the 2023 Annual Conference, committee tracks for abstract submission have been updated to align with CSTE’s revised Steering Committee structure. Committee tracks are now Chronic Disease/Maternal and Child Health, Environmental Health/Occupational Health, Infectious Disease, Special Topics, Substance Use & Mental Health/Injury, Surveillance/Informatics, and Workforce Development.
 
We also encourage CSTE members to review the abstract criteria and submit for the 2023 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) National Award for Outstanding Epidemiology Practice in Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities and the 2023 Presidential Priorities Award.

All CSTE members receive a discount on Conference registration, so please visit www.cste.org today and login to ensure your membership is current. For the most up-to-date information on the 2023 Annual Conference, please visit www.csteconference.org. 

CSTE is pleased that the Improving DATA in Public Health Act recognizes the important partnership between state, territorial, local, and tribal (STLT) health departments and the federal government and requires that necessary data be made available first or simultaneously to STLT public health authorities. This is critical not just during national public health emergencies, such as COVID-19 or monkeypox, but for the everyday health issues that public health officials address at the local and state level, such as management of acute cases of hepatitis A in food handlers or meningitis in daycare or school settings.

“Our federated public health system relies on a strong relationship between CDC and state, territorial, local, and tribal health departments. This legislation proposes significant changes to our public health data infrastructure and these changes must be made in consultation with state and local entities. We are encouraged to see the vital role of STLT stakeholders is outlined in the text and look forward to working closely with our partners at CDC moving forward,” said Janet Hamilton, executive director of CSTE.

Importantly, the legislation does not change CSTE’s existing role – one it has held since its inception in the 1950s – to bring together STLT and CDC partners to develop standardized case definitions used for national surveillance and define which conditions should be nationally notifiable.

The legislation also establishes a federal advisory committee on public health information and availability that will oversee and make recommendations on the implementation of public health data reporting. The advisory committee includes representation from STLT entities as well as the national organizations representing these health departments and their public health officials.

Even before the pandemic, CSTE recognized our public health data systems were in dire need of modernization. “Our public health data systems are not where they need to be,” added Hamilton. “Unfortunately, this is the result of years of underfunding and underinvestment in our state, local, territorial, tribal, and federal public health data infrastructure. We can do better as a country, and we must do better. Public health cannot continue to be resourced through emergency funding; we need increased annual investments. CSTE calls on Congress to make significant and sustainable investments in our public health data systems.”

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About CSTE

Founded in 1951, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) represents the interests of State Epidemiologists from all 50 U.S. states and territories. CSTE is also the professional home to over 2500 practicing applied epidemiologists. For information, visit https://www.cste.org/.

Media contact: Jeremy Arieh, Director of Communications, 770-458-3811, email: jarieh@cste.org

“Our findings reflect the health disparities we knew existed that COVID-19 laid bare before us,” said Janet Hamilton, CSTE Executive Director. “The impact of COVID-19 on communities of color has been devastating, and our priorities must shift to improving collection of race and ethnicity data from people who seek care or testing, establishing automated and electronic ways for that information to be reported by health care providers and laboratories, and continued advocacy for resources to update information systems and bolster staffing at public health agencies across the U.S.”

The report explores factors leading to this critical gap and points toward possible solutions to improve completeness of race and ethnicity in public health data. Several systemic factors contributing to reporting gaps include; incomplete health care provider and laboratory reporting of race and ethnicity data to public health; the lack of a modern, interoperable public health data infrastructure; the need for additional staff at public health agencies to collect and organize this data; and the need to improve how patients are asked about race and ethnicity to ensure they understand how the information is used, and why it is important to provide.

“While improvements have been made during the COVID-19 response, we must continue to address the factors that impact the quality and completeness of race and ethnicity data,” added Hamilton. “Only the most precise data and effective, interoperable surveillance systems will truly allow us to begin bridging these gaps and continue progress toward health equity.”

To view CSTE’s full report, please click here.

About CSTE

Founded in 1951, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) represents the interests of State Epidemiologists from all 50 U.S. states and territories. CSTE is also the professional home to nearly 2300 practicing applied epidemiologists. For more information, visit https://www.cste.org/. Media contact: Jeremy Arieh, at  770-458-3811 or 334544@email4pr.com

As leading public health organizations, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE), Association of Immunization Managers (AIM), Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), Big Cities Health Coalition (BCHC), and National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) urge all children five years of age and older to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to help protect them and their families from severe infections, hospitalizations and even death and to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the community. COVID-19 vaccination is the best protection for children against COVID-19 and its potential short- and long-term complications. Vaccination also helps reduce the spread of COVID-19 to others in the community who are at a higher risk for hospitalization and death following infection.

The strong data showing that the vaccine is both safe and effective allows parents to know they are making the best choice for the health of their children when they choose to get them vaccinated. Contrary to the misinformation arising in some jurisdictions, the benefit of getting vaccinated far outweighs any risks. The vaccine protects children from serious complications of COVID-19 infection, helps to keep them in school, and makes their entire community safer.

The COVID-19 vaccine for children is recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and public health and healthcare experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Medical Association, and the Infectious Disease Society of America. The COVID-19 vaccine was first recommended for children five years of age and older in November 2021 and now more than 26 million children have received at least one dose of vaccine. While the vaccine trials involved fewer individuals, the widespread use and monitoring of the vaccine post-trial among millions and millions of children confirms the safety of the vaccines demonstrated in the initial trials is exceptional. Achieving high COVID-19 vaccination rates in all age groups, including children five years of age and older, remains a critical tool in preventing unnecessary illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths in our communities, while providing a path forward towards a return to normalcy.

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About CSTE

Founded in 1951, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) represents the interests of State Epidemiologists from all 50 U.S. states and territories. CSTE is also the professional home to more than 2200 practicing applied epidemiologists. For information, visit https://www.cste.org/. Contact: Jeremy Arieh, Director of Communications, 770-458-3811, email: jarieh@cste.org

About AIM

The Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) is a non-profit membership association comprised of representatives from 64 federally-funded state, territorial and local National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases awardees. AIM is dedicated to working with its partners nationwide to reduce, eliminate or eradicate vaccine preventable diseases. AIM also works to ensure the success of its members by providing support in their programming interests. Since 1999, AIM has enabled collaboration among immunization managers to effectively control vaccine-preventable diseases and improve immunization coverage in the United States. For more information on AIM, visit https://www.immunizationmanagers.org/.

About APHL

The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) works to strengthen laboratory systems serving the public’s health in the US and globally. APHL’s member laboratories protect the public’s health by monitoring and detecting infectious and foodborne diseases, environmental contaminants, terrorist agents, genetic disorders in newborns and other diverse health threats. For more information, visit https://www.aphl.org/. Contact: Michelle Forman, Manager, Media, 240-485-2793, michelle.forman@aphl.org

About NACCHO

The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the nation’s nearly 3,000 local health departments. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information about NACCHO, visit https://www.naccho.org/. Contact: Theresa Spinner, Lead, Media and Public Affairs, 202-783- 5551, tspinner@naccho.org

About BCHC

The Big Cities Health Coalition is a forum for the leaders of America’s largest metropolitan health departments to exchange strategies and jointly address issues to promote and protect the health and safety of the nearly 62 million people they serve. Together, these public health officials directly affect the health and well-being of nearly one in five Americans. For more information, visit https://www.bigcitieshealth.org/.

While universal case investigation and contact tracing during the initial phase of the pandemic was justified in the attempt to contain the pandemic, most experts agree this is no longer optimal. We urge a refocus of our public health efforts and resources, with an emphasis on targeting investigations in higher risk settings serving vulnerable populations and other critical measures to better protect the public.

Although it is no longer optimal for public health to universally investigate and monitor individual COVID-19 cases and their contacts, contact tracing remains a necessary public health tool for interrupting ongoing transmission of COVID-19 and preventing disease in the most vulnerable populations, especially in certain higher risk congregate residential settings (e.g., shelters, correctional facilities, and nursing homes) or in other specific situations, such as outbreak investigations or if warranted based on concerning changes in the clinical or epidemiological characteristics of the virus. Individual jurisdictions may also consider continuing contact tracing in other settings, including schools and child-care centers, depending on local context, priorities, and available resources.

The recommended transition away from universal case investigation and contact tracing for COVID-19 does not suggest that such tools have limited value in the setting of many priority infectious diseases. Indeed, case investigation and contact tracing by public health officials remains a vital, well-established method for the control of other communicable diseases, such as measles, tuberculosis, hepatitis A, HIV, and sexually transmitted diseases, like syphilis and gonorrhea. 

To access the full statement on case investigation/contact tracing, including a list of six key public health strategies for COVID-19 prevention and care, click HERE.

About CSTE

Founded in 1951, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) represents the interests of State Epidemiologists from all 50 U.S. states and territories. CSTE is also the professional home to more than 2200 practicing applied epidemiologists at the state, local, tribal and territorial levels. For information, visit https://www.cste.org/.

Contact: Jeremy Arieh, Director of Communications, 770-458-3811, email: jarieh@cste.org

About ASTHO

ASTHO is the national nonprofit organization representing the public health agencies of the United States, the U.S. territories and Freely Associated States, and Washington, D.C., as well as the more than 100,000 public health professionals these agencies employ. ASTHO members, the chief health officials of these jurisdictions, are dedicated to formulating and influencing sound public health policy and to ensuring excellence in public health practice.

Contact: Jane Esworthy, Senior Director of Public Relations, email: jesworthy@astho.org

(Atlanta, GA) – The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) identifies major gaps in the applied epidemiology workforce despite recent growth due to surge staffing for the COVID-19 pandemic response. While CSTE reports the highest-ever number of epidemiologists nationwide, significant gaps exist and the sustainability of current workforce levels is under threat, with gaps in emerging areas, such as data analytics, mental health, occupational health and genomics (mapping of genes used to identify COVID-19 variants).

“The recent growth of the epidemiology workforce is very encouraging, but it results from short-term hiring for the COVID response, and we must sustain this growth beyond the pandemic to address the long-standing gaps in our workforce,” said Janet Hamilton, MPH, CSTE’s Executive Director. “We’ve seen historic increases in emergency funding via several COVID-19 relief bills; however, a long-term strategy and commitment to fund the epidemiology workforce is crucial. Failure to invest now will leave us more vulnerable than ever to respond to COVID-19 and other health threats acute, chonic and emerging.”

Conducted nationwide from January-April 2021, CSTE’s Epidemiology Capacity Assessment (ECA) found over a third of the workforce is concentrated in infectious disease (ID), with an additional 24% specifically in COVID-19 response. These numbers reflect a large influx of short-term funding to combat COVID-19. However, continued investment in infectious disease and the heavy focus on COVID-19 has left significant gaps in other areas. For example, the 2021 ECA counted only five genomics epidemiologists nationwide, a staggeringly low number considering the growing need for whole genome sequencing, which is used to detect the presence of COVID-19 variants. Given the mental health repercussions of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, there is also dire need for mental health epidemiologists. This ongoing shortage must be addressed.

Despite the  staffing surge for COVID-19, at the state and territorial levels alone 2,196 additional epidemiologists are needed to deliver basic public health services across all program areas. As many as 8,000 additional epidemiologists are needed to achieve public health transformation in state, local, territorial and tribal health departments. Many prominent areas, including chronic disease and maternal and child health, suffered a decrease in epidemiologists, which is likely due to the reallocation of staff from their regular jobs during COVID-19. The 2021 ECA findings also highlight the ongoing challenges of recruiting and retaining the applied epidemiology workforce. Tasked with working long hours for an extended period of time, epidemiologists are facing unprecedented burnout and fatigue. In addition, health departments struggle to offer competitive salaries and opportunities for advancement, forcing many to leave for the private sector.

State health departments continue to rely heavily on federal funding for epidemiology personnel and activities. In 2021, 39% of funding for health departments came from short-term COVID-19 federal supplemental funds. To continue long-term growth within the epidemiology workforce, there is continued need for sustainable, non-disease specific funding to allow departments to meet the needs of their jurisdictions.

“Long hours in response to COVID-19, mental health concerns and other factors have caused attrition in the current workforce,” adds Hamilton. “To retain our talent, grow and better prepare for the next pandemic, government leaders at every level must seek to bolster the epi workforce by supporting sustainable, long-term investment in infectious and non-infectious disease areas and workforce training initiatives.”

To access the 2021 ECA report and its findings, please click HERE.

About CSTE

Founded in 1951, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) represents the interests of State Epidemiologists from all 50 U.S. states and territories, comprising the Council. CSTE is also the professional home to over 2200 practicing applied epidemiologists working at the state, local, tribal and territorial levels. For information, visit https://www.cste.org/.

“CSTE applauds the Biden administration’s commitment of $7 billion from the American Rescue Plan to grow and strengthen our nation’s public health workforce. We are energized by the Adminstration’s continued focus on building a larger, more diverse workforce with long-term sustainability and an emphasis on health equity, rather than what has historically been one-time emergency funding. Specifically, we are encouraged to see the inclusion of epidemiologists and data scientists in the public health professionals highlighted in the plan. Effective disease surveillance and good data are the backbone of any public health emergency response, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the flaws and prior lack of investment in our nation’s public health infrastructure and workforce. CSTE estimates the U.S. will need nearly 9,000 new epidemiologsts nationwide to adequately address current gaps in epidemiology capacity and establish a sustained public health infrastructure, and today’s announcement is a step in this direction.

For over a decade, CSTE has worked tirelessly with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other partners to foster public health workforce development via fellowship programs in applied epidemiology and surveillance/informatics, mentorships and other training opportunities. This new funding for state, territorial, local and tribal health departments to meet increased staffing demands in all areas, as well as the expansion of existing, successful programs such as CSTE’s Applied Epidemiology Fellowship (AEF) and CDC’s Epidemiology Intelligence Service (EIS ) shows the Administration’s continued commitment to revitalizing our nation’s public health infrastructure. CSTE looks forward to further collaboration with Congress and the Biden administration to grow and build the next-generation public health workforce. This is truly a historic day for public health in the U.S.”

About CSTE

Founded in 1951, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) represents the interests of State Epidemiologists from all 50 U.S. states and territories, comprising the Council. CSTE is also the professional home to more than 2000 practicing applied epidemiologists working at the state, local, tribal and territorial levels. For more information, visit www.cste.org.

Years before COVID-19 struck, the campaign partners identified significant gaps in our nation’s antiquated public health surveillance systems that impeded our ability to effectively and efficiently respond to emerging public health threats. We called for a foundational investment of $1 billion to upgrade public health data systems and sustained, annual funding to keep systems up to date. COVID-19 exposed just how big these gaps in public health data systems really are and the significant sustained investment needed to truly address this crisis. To date, Congress has responded with funding through annual appropriations, the CARES Act, and the American Rescue Plan, which lay an important foundation for building a 21^st century data superhighway. The request for an additional $250 million in FY2022 will set us on a path toward long-term, sustained funding.

The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), Big Cities Health Coalition (BCHC), Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE), Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), and National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems (NAPHSIS) will continue to lead efforts to achieve interoperable, high-speed, networks to move information from health care to public health—from laboratories to health care facilities to public health authorities—with fast and reliable data in order to protect Americans from health threats.

For more information on the Data: Elemental to Health campaign, visit https://www.cste.org/page/DM-2021.

The recent surge in racist and xenophobic incidents directed at the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, including recent shootings at three Atlanta-area spas, has resonated across the nation. CSTE categorically condemns violence and hatred in all forms – in this instance, violent acts of hatred toward the AAPI community in Atlanta, home of the CSTE national office. While we honor and remember the victims of these senseless killings, we are reminded that rhetoric that incites angst, harassment and assault toward any group has no place in our society.

Words speak volumes, especially statements from those in places of power, who have perpetuated the stigmatization of AAPI individuals and communities by referring to COVID-19 by its geographic location of origin and given voice to other slurs and stereotypes. These actions, like any form of racism, violate the core principles of public health practice and have caused continued distress to AAPI communities. CSTE supports an applied public health epidemiology workforce that reflects a rich diversity. We remain committed to the use of epidemiological data to drive actions at all levels to propel policy change to eliminate violence, ensure diversity, equal opportunity and health for all.

For information and resources, visit https://stopaapihate.org/.

Years before COVID-19 struck, our organizations identified significant gaps in our nation’s public health surveillance systems that curtailed our ability to effectively and efficiently respond to emerging public health threats. To provide the necessary upgrades to our public health data systems we called for a foundational investment of $1 billion and sustained annual funding to keep systems up to date with evolving technology.

Unsurprisingly, COVID-19 exposed the shortfalls of our antiquated public health data systems. We need an interoperable, high-speed, network to move information from health care to public health—from laboratories to health care facilities to public health authorities—with fast and reliable data in order to protect Americans from health threats. The American Rescue Plan, which includes $500 million in funding for DMI and infectious disease epidemic forecasting and analytics, will help us get there.

Modernization is a commitment to building a world-class data workforce and data systems that are ready for the next public health emergency. We thank Congress and the administration for providing a robust investment in upgrading our public health surveillance system and look forward to working with them to ensure sustained long-term investments in our public health surveillance systems help us better respond to the next threat.

Association of Public Health Laboratories
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists
Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society
National Association of Public Health Statistics and Information Systems