DPH PRESS RELEASE: Connecticut Department of Public Health Announces Start of New U.S. Disease Tracker to Strengthen Monitoring of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases

[nor...@everbridge.net]

HARTFORD, Conn. — The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) today announced that Connecticut is one of the first states in the nation to share data through the new U.S. Disease Tracker (USDT), a national platform launched to strengthen public monitoring of vaccine-preventable diseases. The tracker, created by the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) and Johns Hopkins University (JHU), in partnership with state and territorial health agencies, offers the public, media, healthcare providers, and policymakers reliable, visual information on current disease trends.

The USDT initially tracks three vaccine-preventable diseases, measles, invasive meningococcal disease, and pertussis or whooping cough, at the state and substate level, with additional diseases and conditions planned for the coming months, including mumps, varicella, hepatitis A, mpox, and influenza-associated pediatric mortality.

“Connecticut's participation reflects our ongoing commitment to transparency and to giving residents and providers timely, trustworthy information they can act on.” said Commissioner Manisha Juthani, M.D. “This is particularly important as we work to protect communities against preventable diseases. Sharing standardized data through a platform like the U.S. Disease Tracker strengthens our ability to spot trends early, coordinate with neighboring states, and support the healthcare providers on the front lines of patient care.”