A new online platform launched by Johns Hopkins University enhances transparency and accessibility in monitoring vaccine-preventable diseases across the US, aiming to support clinicians, policymakers, and public health efforts with detailed state and substate data.
A new online platform is giving doctors, pharmacists, public health officials and the public a clearer view of vaccine-preventable diseases across the United States, with data shown at state and substate level. The US Disease Tracker was launched by Johns Hopkins University with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials and the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, working with state and territorial health agencies.
The tracker currently covers measles, invasive meningococcal disease and pertussis, but its backers say it is designed to expand to other vaccine-preventable illnesses over time. According to the organisations behind it, the aim is not to replace the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s national surveillance work, but to add a more accessible layer of open data that can be used by clinicians, policymakers and the public.
Lauren Gardner, the Johns Hopkins project co-lead, said in a news release that the pandemic showed both the value of timely public health information and the need for standardised data. William Moss, the other project co-lead, said the tracker is intended to help shape public health decisions and improve how providers advise patients. Shaun Truelove, executive director of the Johns Hopkins International Vaccine Access Centre, said the team had worked with public health partners to keep the information useful while protecting privacy and data security.
The launch comes as vaccination gaps remain a persistent public health problem. Drug Topics reported that, on average, about 90,000 Americans die each year from infections that can be prevented by vaccines, and that many had seen a health care provider in the year before their deaths without being immunised. The same report said influenza and pneumonia together remain the fifth leading cause of death among Americans aged 65 and older.
For pharmacists, the tracker may prove especially useful because surveillance data can help identify where screening and vaccine outreach should intensify. Drug Topics noted that at least 36 states allow pharmacists to give vaccines, and that the CDC’s advisory committee has supported standing-order programmes in settings such as long-term-care facilities, clinics, workplaces and hospitals. The CDC also lists a wide range of vaccine-preventable diseases, from childhood infections such as measles and pertussis to vaccines used for travel or higher-risk occupations, including yellow fever, typhoid and rabies.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
