Maintaining a Level of Engagement with Project Areas In Tracking Vaccine Doses Administered In Preparation for Future Pandemic Events

Background: In the event of an influenza pandemic, timely reporting of pandemic influenza vaccine doses administered allows the federal government and Project Areas to closely monitor the use of limited vaccine supplies. During October 2010, CDC conducted a voluntary Doses Administered Exercise (DAX 2010) using the Countermeasure and Response Administration (CRA) system.

Objectives: To help Project Areas sustain preparedness efforts and maintain CRA engagement.  

Methods:  Nineteen of 62 CDC Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) grantees, 50 states, 8 U.S. Territories and Island Jurisdictions and four major metropolitan areas (New York City, District of Columbia, Los Angeles County and Chicago), participated in the exercise. To be considered successful, Project Areas submitted data to CDC via CRA by 11:59 PM (local time) using one of the following transmission options: (1) data exchange using an existing Immunization Information System (IIS), (2) Direct Web Entry of aggregate data or (3) direct web entry datail. Seasonal Influenza vaccines were used as a proxy for pandemic vaccine. Data was submitted according to the five general population category tiers based on United States Health and Human Services in a timely and efficient manner.

Results: Nineteen (31%) Project Areas participated in the voluntary exercise and submitted a total of 294,386 doses administered counts. Throughout DAX 2010, participants asked a number of questions and raised several practical issues related to system access and data exchange. They were resolved in a timely and efficient manner.

Conclusions: This voluntary exercise assisted in maintaining the level of engagement requested by Project Areas with the CRA system for doses administered data reporting, should such reporting be required during another pandemic event. Project Area participation in the voluntary exercise, supports the belief that CRA is a valuable, and useful tool in continued Project Area preparedness planning efforts.