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.

Access the Course
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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.

Explore the Chart
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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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Latest Infectious Disease Resources

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Using Data and Effective Messaging to Support Strong Vaccine Policy

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A Syndemic Approach to STI Interventions and Prevention

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Expanding Pharmacist-Prescribed HIV PrEP

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Automated Syphilis Electronic Laboratory Processing: Effectively and Accurately Identifying Priority Syphilis Cases

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How Can Health Agencies Support HAI/AR Staff Recruitment and Retention?

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A Look at a Critical Player in Public Health, Disease Intervention Specialists

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Bridging the Gap: Ensuring Vaccine Equity for Native Communities

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Examining Tuberculosis from a Syndemic Perspective

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Collaborations

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.