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  • Research Article
  • 10.15585/mmwr.ss7405a1
Surveillance for Violent Deaths — National Violent Death Reporting System, 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, 2022
  • Jun 12, 2025
  • MMWR Surveillance Summaries
  • Kaitlin Forsberg + 6 more

  • Research Article
  • Cite Count Icon 5
  • 10.15585/mmwr.ss7401a1
Contributing Factors of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks — NationalOutbreak Reporting System, United States, 2014–2022
  • Mar 13, 2025
  • MMWR Surveillance Summaries
  • Meghan M Holst + 5 more

  • Open Access Icon
  • Research Article
  • Cite Count Icon 5
  • 10.15585/mmwr.ss7208a1
Fatalities in Oil and Gas Extraction Database, an Industry-Specific Worker Fatality Surveillance System — United States, 2014–2019
  • Sep 1, 2023
  • MMWR Surveillance Summaries
  • Kaitlin C Wingate + 4 more

Problem/ConditionThe U.S. oil and gas extraction (OGE) industry faces unique safety and health hazards and historically elevated fatality rates. The lack of existing surveillance data and occupational safety and health research called for increased efforts to better understand factors contributing to worker fatalities in the OGE industry. This report describes the creation of the Fatalities in Oil and Gas Extraction (FOG) database, presents initial findings from the first 6 years of data collection (2014–2019), highlights ways that FOG data have been used, and describes the benefits and challenges of maintaining the surveillance system.Period Covered2014–2019.Description of SystemIn 2013, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) created the FOG database, a surveillance system comprising an industry-specific worker fatality database. NIOSH researchers worked with OGE partners to establish inclusion criteria for the database and develop unique database variables to elucidate industry-specific factors related to each fatality (e.g., phase of operation, worker activity, and working alone). FOG cases are identified through various sources, such as Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports, media reports, and notifications from professional contacts. NIOSH researchers compile source documents; OGE-specific database variables are coded by multiple researchers to ensure accuracy. Data collection ceased in 2019 because grant funding ended.ResultsDuring 2014–2019, a total of 470 OGE worker fatalities were identified in the FOG database. A majority of these fatalities (69.4%) were identified from OSHA reports and Google Alerts (44.7% and 24.7%, respectively). Unique database variables created to characterize fatalities in the OGE industry (i.e., phase of operation, worker activity, working alone, and working unobserved) were identified in approximately 85% of OGE worker fatality cases. The most frequent fatal events were vehicle incidents (26.8%), contact injuries (21.7%), and explosions (14.5%). The event type was unknown among 5.7% of worker fatalities. Approximately three fourths of fatalities identified through the FOG database were among contractors. Approximately 20% of cases included workers who were working alone.InterpretationThe FOG database is a resource for identifying safety and health trends and emerging issues among OGE workers (e.g., exposure to hydrocarbon gases and vapors and fatalities resulting from cardiac events) that might not be available in other surveillance systems. The FOG database also helps researchers better identify groups of workers that are at increased risk for injury in an already high-risk industry. Challenges exist when maintaining an industry-specific surveillance system, including labor-intensive data collection, the need for researchers with substantial knowledge of the industry, delays in access to timely data, and missing source file data.Public Health ActionsContinued surveillance of worker fatalities in the OGE industry is recommended to help identify new safety and health hazards and guide research and prevention activities. Industry, academic institutions, and government can use findings from the FOG database to identify factors contributing to fatal injuries in OGE and develop interventions to improve worker safety and health. The findings in this report also can be used by other industries with high fatality rates to support the development of worker fatality surveillance systems.

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  • Research Article
  • Cite Count Icon 16
  • 10.15585/mmwr.ss7207a1
Travel-Related Diagnoses Among U.S. Nonmigrant Travelers or MigrantsPresenting to U.S. GeoSentinel Sites — GeoSentinel Network,2012–2021
  • Jun 30, 2023
  • MMWR Surveillance Summaries
  • Ashley B Brown + 14 more

Problem/Condition: During 2012-2021, the volume of international travel reached record highs and lows. This period also was marked by the emergence or large outbreaks of multiple infectious diseases (e.g., Zika virus, yellow fever, and COVID-19). Over time, the growing ease and increased frequency of travel has resulted in the unprecedented global spread of infectious diseases. Detecting infectious diseases and other diagnoses among travelers can serve as sentinel surveillance for new or emerging pathogens and provide information to improve case identification, clinical management, and public health prevention and response.

  • Open Access Icon
  • Research Article
  • Cite Count Icon 15
  • 10.15585/mmwr.ss7206a1
Foodborne Illness Outbreaks at Retail Food Establishments — National Environmental Assessment Reporting System, 25 State and Local Health Departments, 2017–2019
  • Jun 2, 2023
  • MMWR Surveillance Summaries
  • Erin D Moritz + 8 more

Problem/ConditionEach year, state and local public health departments report hundreds of foodborne illness outbreaks associated with retail food establishments (e.g., restaurants or caterers) to CDC. Typically, investigations involve epidemiology, laboratory, and environmental health components. Health departments voluntarily report epidemiologic and laboratory data from their foodborne illness outbreak investigations to CDC through the National Outbreak Reporting System (NORS); however, minimal environmental health data from outbreak investigations are reported to NORS. This report summarizes environmental health data collected during outbreak investigations and reported to the National Environmental Assessment Reporting System (NEARS).Period Covered2017–2019.Description of SystemIn 2014, CDC launched NEARS to complement NORS surveillance and to use these data to enhance prevention efforts. State and local health departments voluntarily enter data from their foodborne illness outbreak investigations of retail food establishments into NEARS. These data include characteristics of foodborne illness outbreaks (e.g., etiologic agent and factors contributing to the outbreak), characteristics of establishments with outbreaks (e.g., number of meals served daily), and food safety policies in these establishments (e.g., ill worker policy requirements). NEARS is the only available data source that collects environmental characteristics of retail establishments with foodborne illness outbreaks.ResultsDuring 2017–2019, a total of 800 foodborne illness outbreaks associated with 875 retail food establishments were reported to NEARS by 25 state and local health departments. Among outbreaks with a confirmed or suspected agent (555 of 800 [69.4%]), the most common pathogens were norovirus and Salmonella, accounting for 47.0% and 18.6% of outbreaks, respectively. Contributing factors were identified in 62.5% of outbreaks. Approximately 40% of outbreaks with identified contributing factors had at least one reported factor associated with food contamination by an ill or infectious food worker. Investigators conducted an interview with an establishment manager in 679 (84.9%) outbreaks. Of the 725 managers interviewed, most (91.7%) said their establishment had a policy requiring food workers to notify their manager when they were ill, and 66.0% also said these policies were written. Only 23.0% said their policy listed all five illness symptoms workers needed to notify managers about (i.e., vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, sore throat with fever, and lesion with pus). Most (85.5%) said that their establishment had a policy restricting or excluding ill workers from working, and 62.4% said these policies were written. Only 17.8% said their policy listed all five illness symptoms that would require restriction or exclusion from work. Only 16.1% of establishments with outbreaks had policies addressing all four components relating to ill or infectious workers (i.e., policy requires workers to notify a manager when they are ill, policy specifies all five illness symptoms workers need to notify managers about, policy restricts or excludes ill workers from working, and policy specifies all five illness symptoms requiring restriction or exclusion from work).InterpretationNorovirus was the most commonly identified cause of outbreaks reported to NEARS, and contamination of food by ill or infectious food workers contributed to approximately 40% of outbreaks with identified contributing factors. These findings are consistent with findings from other national outbreak data sets and highlight the role of ill workers in foodborne illness outbreaks. Although a majority of managers reported their establishment had an ill worker policy, often these policies were missing components intended to reduce foodborne illness risk. Contamination of food by ill or infectious food workers is an important cause of outbreaks; therefore, the content and enforcement of existing policies might need to be re-examined and refined.Public Health ActionRetail food establishments can reduce viral foodborne illness outbreaks by protecting food from contamination through proper hand hygiene and excluding ill or infectious workers from working. Development and implementation of policies that prevent contamination of food by workers are important to foodborne outbreak reduction. NEARS data can help identify gaps in food safety policies and practices, particularly those concerning ill workers. Future analyses of stratified data linking specific outbreak agents and foods with outbreak contributing factors can help guide the development of effective prevention approaches by describing how establishments’ characteristics and food safety policies and practices relate to foodborne illness outbreaks.

  • Open Access Icon
  • Research Article
  • Cite Count Icon 22
  • 10.15585/mmwr.ss7204a1
Epidemiologic Trends of Dengue in U.S. Territories,2010–2020
  • May 19, 2023
  • MMWR Surveillance Summaries
  • Kyle R Ryff + 10 more

Problem/ConditionDengue is one of the most common vectorborne flaviviral infections globally,with frequent outbreaks in tropical regions. In 2019 and 2020, the PanAmerican Health Organization reported approximately 5.5 million dengue casesfrom the Americas, the highest number on record. In the United States, localdengue virus (DENV) transmission has been reported from all U.S.territories, which are characterized by tropical climates that are highlysuitable for Aedes species of mosquitoes, the vector thattransmits dengue. Dengue is endemic in the U.S. territories of AmericanSamoa, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). Dengue risk in Guamand the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is considered sporadicor uncertain. Despite all U.S. territories reporting local denguetransmission, epidemiologic trends over time have not been welldescribed.Reporting Period2010–2020.Description of SystemState and territorial health departments report dengue cases to CDC throughArboNET, the national arboviral surveillance system, which was developed in2000 to monitor West Nile virus infections. Dengue became nationallynotifiable in ArboNET in 2010. Dengue cases reported to ArboNET arecategorized using the 2015 Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologistscase definition. In addition, DENV serotyping is performed at CDC’sDengue Branch Laboratory in a subset of specimens to support identificationof circulating DENV serotypes.ResultsDuring 2010–2020, a total of 30,903 dengue cases were reported fromfour U.S. territories to ArboNET. Puerto Rico reported the highest number ofdengue cases (29,862 [96.6%]), followed by American Samoa (660 [2.1%]), USVI(353 [1.1%]), and Guam (28 [0.1%]). However, annual incidence rates werehighest in American Samoa with 10.2 cases per 1,000 population in 2017,followed by Puerto Rico with 2.9 in 2010 and USVI with 1.6 in 2013.Approximately one half (50.6%) of cases occurred among persons aged <20years. The proportion of persons with dengue who were hospitalized was highin three of the four territories: 45.5% in American Samoa, 32.6% in PuertoRico, and 32.1% in Guam. In Puerto Rico and USVI, approximately 2% ofreported cases were categorized as severe dengue. Of all dengue-associateddeaths, 68 (0.2%) were reported from Puerto Rico; no deaths were reportedfrom the other territories. During 2010–2020, DENV-1 and DENV-4 werethe predominant serotypes in Puerto Rico and USVI.InterpretationU.S. territories experienced a high prevalence of dengue during2010–2020, with approximately 30,000 cases reported, and a highincidence during outbreak years. Children and adolescents aged <20 yearswere disproportionately affected, highlighting the need for interventionstailored for this population. Ongoing education about dengue clinicalmanagement for health care providers in U.S. territories is importantbecause of the high hospitalization rates reported. Dengue case surveillanceand serotyping can be used to guide future control and prevention measuresin these areas.Public Health ActionThe Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends vaccination withDengvaxia for children aged 9–16 years with evidence of previousdengue infection and living in areas where dengue is endemic. Therecommendation for the dengue vaccine offers public health professionals andhealth care providers a new intervention for preventing illness andhospitalization in the age group with the highest burden of disease in thefour territories (Paz Bailey G, Adams L, Wong JM, et al. Dengue Vaccine:Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, UnitedStates, 2021. MMWR Recomm Rep 2021;70[No. RR-6]). American Samoa, PuertoRico, and USVI are all considered endemic areas and persons residing inthese areas are eligible for the new dengue vaccine. Persons aged9–16 years in those jurisdictions with laboratory evidence ofprevious dengue infection can receive the dengue vaccine and benefit from areduced risk for symptomatic disease, hospitalization, or severe dengue.Health care providers in these areas should be familiar with the eligibilitycriteria and recommendations for vaccination to reduce the burden of dengueamong the group at highest risk for symptomatic illness. Educating healthcare providers about identification and management of dengue cases canimprove patient outcomes and improve surveillance and reporting of denguecases.

  • Open Access Icon
  • Research Article
  • Cite Count Icon 7
  • 10.15585/mmwr.ss7203a1
Medication for Opioid Use Disorder During Pregnancy — Maternal and Infant Network to Understand Outcomes Associated with Use of Medication for Opioid Use Disorder During Pregnancy (MAT-LINK), 2014–2021
  • May 5, 2023
  • MMWR Surveillance Summaries
  • Kathryn Miele + 24 more

ProblemMedication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) is recommended for persons with opioid use disorder (OUD) during pregnancy. However, knowledge gaps exist about best practices for management of OUD during pregnancy and these data are needed to guide clinical care.Period Covered2014–2021.Description of the SystemEstablished in 2019, the Maternal and Infant Network to Understand Outcomes Associated with Medication for Opioid Use Disorder During Pregnancy (MAT-LINK) is a surveillance network of seven clinical sites in the United States. Boston Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente Northwest, The Ohio State University, and the University of Utah were the initial clinical sites in 2019. In 2021, three clinical sites were added to the network (the University of New Mexico, the University of Rochester, and the University of South Florida). Persons receiving care at the seven clinical sites are diverse in terms of geography, urbanicity, race and ethnicity, insurance coverage, and type of MOUD received. The goal of MAT-LINK is to capture demographic and clinical information about persons with OUD during pregnancy to better understand the effect of MOUD on outcomes and, ultimately, provide information for clinical care and public health interventions for this population. MAT-LINK maintains strict confidentiality through robust information technology architecture. MAT-LINK surveillance methods, population characteristics, and evaluation findings are described in this inaugural surveillance report. This report is the first to describe the system, presenting detailed information on funding, structure, data elements, and methods as well as findings from a surveillance evaluation. The findings presented in this report are limited to selected demographic characteristics of pregnant persons overall and by MOUD treatment status. Clinical and outcome data are not included because data collection and cleaning have not been completed; initial analyses of clinical and outcome data will begin in 2023.ResultsThe MAT-LINK surveillance network gathered data on 5,541 reported pregnancies with a known pregnancy outcome during 2014–2021 among persons with OUD from seven clinical sites. The mean maternal age was 29.7 (SD = ±5.1) years. By race and ethnicity, 86.3% of pregnant persons were identified as White, 25.4% as Hispanic or Latino, and 5.8% as Black or African American. Among pregnant persons, 81.6% had public insurance, and 84.4% lived in urban areas. Compared with persons not receiving MOUD during pregnancy, those receiving MOUD during pregnancy were more likely to be older and White and to have public insurance. The evaluation of the surveillance system found that the initial four clinical sites were not representative of demographics of the South or Southwest regions of the United States and had low representation from certain racial and ethnic groups compared with the overall U.S. population; however, the addition of three clinical sites in 2021 made the surveillance network more representative. Automated extraction and processing improved the speed of data collection and analysis. The ability to add new clinical sites and variables demonstrated the flexibility of MAT-LINK.InterpretationMAT-LINK is the first surveillance system to collect comprehensive, longitudinal data on pregnant person–infant dyads with perinatal outcomes associated with MOUD during pregnancy from multiple clinical sites. Analyses of clinical site data demonstrated different sociodemographic characteristics between the MOUD and non-MOUD treatment groups.Public Health ActionsMAT-LINK is a timely and flexible surveillance system with data on approximately 5,500 pregnancies. Ongoing data collection and analyses of these data will provide information to support clinical and public health guidance to improve health outcomes among pregnant persons with OUD and their children.

  • Open Access Icon
  • Research Article
  • Cite Count Icon 149
  • 10.15585/mmwr.ss7201a1
Early Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 4 Years — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2020
  • Mar 24, 2023
  • MMWR Surveillance Summaries
  • Kelly A Shaw + 36 more

Problem/ConditionAutism spectrum disorder (ASD).Period Covered2020.Description of SystemThe Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network is an active surveillance program that estimates prevalence and characteristics of ASD and monitors timing of ASD identification among children aged 4 and 8 years. In 2020, a total of 11 sites (located in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Tennessee, Utah, and Wisconsin) conducted surveillance of ASD among children aged 4 and 8 years and suspected ASD among children aged 4 years. Surveillance included children who lived in the surveillance area at any time during 2020. Children were classified as having ASD if they ever received 1) an ASD diagnostic statement in an evaluation, 2) a special education classification of autism (eligibility), or 3) an ASD International Classification of Diseases (ICD) code (revisions 9 or 10). Children aged 4 years were classified as having suspected ASD if they did not meet the case definition for ASD but had a documented qualified professional’s statement indicating a suspicion of ASD. This report focuses on children aged 4 years in 2020 compared with children aged 8 years in 2020.ResultsFor 2020, ASD prevalence among children aged 4 years varied across sites, from 12.7 per 1,000 children in Utah to 46.4 in California. The overall prevalence was 21.5 and was higher among boys than girls at every site. Compared with non-Hispanic White children, ASD prevalence was 1.8 times as high among Hispanic, 1.6 times as high among non-Hispanic Black, 1.4 times as high among Asian or Pacific Islander, and 1.2 times as high among multiracial children. Among the 58.3% of children aged 4 years with ASD and information on intellectual ability, 48.5% had an IQ score of ≤70 on their most recent IQ test or an examiner’s statement of intellectual disability. Among children with a documented developmental evaluation, 78.0% were evaluated by age 36 months. Children aged 4 years had a higher cumulative incidence of ASD diagnosis or eligibility by age 48 months compared with children aged 8 years at all sites; risk ratios ranged from 1.3 in New Jersey and Utah to 2.0 in Tennessee. In the 6 months before the March 2020 COVID-19 pandemic declaration by the World Health Organization, there were 1,593 more evaluations and 1.89 more ASD identifications per 1,000 children aged 4 years than children aged 8 years received 4 years earlier. After the COVID-19 pandemic declaration, this pattern reversed: in the 6 months after pandemic onset, there were 217 fewer evaluations and 0.26 fewer identifications per 1,000 children aged 4 years than children aged 8 years received 4 years earlier. Patterns of evaluation and identification varied among sites, but there was not recovery to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels by the end of 2020 at most sites or overall. For 2020, prevalence of suspected ASD ranged from 0.5 (California) to 10.4 (Arkansas) per 1,000 children aged 4 years, with an increase from 2018 at five sites (Arizona, Arkansas, Maryland, New Jersey, and Utah). Demographic and cognitive characteristics of children aged 4 years with suspected ASD were similar to children aged 4 years with ASD.InterpretationA wide range of prevalence of ASD by age 4 years was observed, suggesting differences in early ASD identification practices among communities. At all sites, cumulative incidence of ASD by age 48 months among children aged 4 years was higher compared with children aged 8 years in 2020, indicating improvements in early identification of ASD. Higher numbers of evaluations and rates of identification were evident among children aged 4 years until the COVID-19 pandemic onset in 2020. Sustained lower levels of ASD evaluations and identification seen at a majority of sites after the pandemic onset could indicate disruptions in typical practices in evaluations and identification for health service providers and schools through the end of 2020. Sites with more recovery could indicate successful strategies to mitigate service interruption, such as pivoting to telehealth approaches for evaluation.Public Health ActionFrom 2016 through February of 2020, ASD evaluation and identification among the cohort of children aged 4 years was outpacing ASD evaluation and identification 4 years earlier (from 2012 until March 2016) among the cohort of children aged 8 years in 2020 . From 2016 to March 2020, ASD evaluation and identification among the cohort of children aged 4 years was outpacing that among children aged 8 years in 2020 from 2012 until March 2016. The disruptions in evaluation that coincided with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the increase in prevalence of suspected ASD in 2020 could have led to delays in ASD identification and interventions. Communities could evaluate the impact of these disruptions as children in affected cohorts age and consider strategies to mitigate service disruptions caused by future public health emergencies.

  • Open Access Icon
  • Research Article
  • Cite Count Icon 1,469
  • 10.15585/mmwr.ss7202a1
Prevalence and Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2020
  • Mar 24, 2023
  • MMWR Surveillance Summaries
  • Matthew J Maenner + 35 more

Problem/ConditionAutism spectrum disorder (ASD).Period Covered2020.Description of SystemThe Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network is an active surveillance program that provides estimates of the prevalence of ASD among children aged 8 years. In 2020, there were 11 ADDM Network sites across the United States (Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Tennessee, Utah, and Wisconsin). To ascertain ASD among children aged 8 years, ADDM Network staff review and abstract developmental evaluations and records from community medical and educational service providers. A child met the case definition if their record documented 1) an ASD diagnostic statement in an evaluation, 2) a classification of ASD in special education, or 3) an ASD International Classification of Diseases (ICD) code.ResultsFor 2020, across all 11 ADDM sites, ASD prevalence per 1,000 children aged 8 years ranged from 23.1 in Maryland to 44.9 in California. The overall ASD prevalence was 27.6 per 1,000 (one in 36) children aged 8 years and was 3.8 times as prevalent among boys as among girls (43.0 versus 11.4). Overall, ASD prevalence was lower among non-Hispanic White children (24.3) and children of two or more races (22.9) than among non-Hispanic Black or African American (Black), Hispanic, and non-Hispanic Asian or Pacific Islander (A/PI) children (29.3, 31.6, and 33.4 respectively). ASD prevalence among non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) children (26.5) was similar to that of other racial and ethnic groups. ASD prevalence was associated with lower household income at three sites, with no association at the other sites.Across sites, the ASD prevalence per 1,000 children aged 8 years based exclusively on documented ASD diagnostic statements was 20.6 (range = 17.1 in Wisconsin to 35.4 in California). Of the 6,245 children who met the ASD case definition, 74.7% had a documented diagnostic statement of ASD, 65.2% had a documented ASD special education classification, 71.6% had a documented ASD ICD code, and 37.4% had all three types of ASD indicators. The median age of earliest known ASD diagnosis was 49 months and ranged from 36 months in California to 59 months in Minnesota.Among the 4,165 (66.7%) children with ASD with information on cognitive ability, 37.9% were classified as having an intellectual disability. Intellectual disability was present among 50.8% of Black, 41.5% of A/PI, 37.8% of two or more races, 34.9% of Hispanic, 34.8% of AI/AN, and 31.8% of White children with ASD. Overall, children with intellectual disability had earlier median ages of ASD diagnosis (43 months) than those without intellectual disability (53 months).InterpretationFor 2020, one in 36 children aged 8 years (approximately 4% of boys and 1% of girls) was estimated to have ASD. These estimates are higher than previous ADDM Network estimates during 2000–2018. For the first time among children aged 8 years, the prevalence of ASD was lower among White children than among other racial and ethnic groups, reversing the direction of racial and ethnic differences in ASD prevalence observed in the past. Black children with ASD were still more likely than White children with ASD to have a co-occurring intellectual disability.Public Health ActionThe continued increase among children identified with ASD, particularly among non-White children and girls, highlights the need for enhanced infrastructure to provide equitable diagnostic, treatment, and support services for all children with ASD. Similar to previous reporting periods, findings varied considerably across network sites, indicating the need for additional research to understand the nature of such differences and potentially apply successful identification strategies across states.

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  • Research Article
  • Cite Count Icon 69
  • 10.15585/mmwr.ss7110a1
Abortion Surveillance — United States, 2020
  • Nov 25, 2022
  • MMWR Surveillance Summaries
  • Katherine Kortsmit + 6 more

Problem/ConditionCDC conducts abortion surveillance to document the number and characteristics of women obtaining legal induced abortions and number of abortion-related deaths in the United States.Period Covered2020.Description of SystemEach year, CDC requests abortion data from the central health agencies for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and New York City. For 2020, a total of 49 reporting areas voluntarily provided aggregate abortion data to CDC. Of these, 48 reporting areas provided data each year during 2011–2020. Census and natality data were used to calculate abortion rates (number of abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44 years) and ratios (number of abortions per 1,000 live births), respectively. Abortion-related deaths from 2019 were assessed as part of CDC’s Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System (PMSS).ResultsA total of 620,327 abortions for 2020 were reported to CDC from 49 reporting areas. Among 48 reporting areas with data each year during 2011–2020, in 2020, a total of 615,911 abortions were reported, the abortion rate was 11.2 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44 years, and the abortion ratio was 198 abortions per 1,000 live births. From 2019 to 2020, the total number of abortions decreased 2% (from 625,346 total abortions), the abortion rate decreased 2% (from 11.4 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44 years), and the abortion ratio increased 2% (from 195 abortions per 1,000 live births). From 2011 to 2020, the total number of reported abortions decreased 15% (from 727,554), the abortion rate decreased 18% (from 13.7 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44 years), and the abortion ratio decreased 9% (from 217 abortions per 1,000 live births).In 2020, women in their 20s accounted for more than half of abortions (57.2%). Women aged 20–24 and 25–29 years accounted for the highest percentages of abortions (27.9% and 29.3%, respectively) and had the highest abortion rates (19.2 and 19.0 abortions per 1,000 women aged 20–24 and 25–29 years, respectively). By contrast, adolescents aged <15 years and women aged ≥40 years accounted for the lowest percentages of abortions (0.2% and 3.7%, respectively) and had the lowest abortion rates (0.4 and 2.6 abortions per 1,000 women aged <15 and ≥40 years, respectively). However, abortion ratios were highest among adolescents (aged ≤19 years) and lowest among women aged 25–39 years.Abortion rates decreased from 2011 to 2020 among all age groups. The decrease in abortion rate was highest among adolescents compared with any other age group. From 2019 to 2020, abortion rates decreased or did not change for all age groups. Abortion ratios decreased from 2011 to 2020 for all age groups, except adolescents aged 15–19 years and women aged 25–29 years for whom abortion ratios increased. The decrease in abortion ratio was highest among women aged ≥40 years compared with any other age group. From 2019 to 2020, abortion ratios decreased for adolescents aged <15 years and women aged ≥35 and increased for women 15–34 years.In 2020, 80.9% of abortions were performed at ≤9 weeks’ gestation, and nearly all (93.1%) were performed at ≤13 weeks’ gestation. During 2011–2020, the percentage of abortions performed at >13 weeks’ gestation remained consistently low (≤9.2%). In 2020, the highest percentage of abortions were performed by early medical abortion at ≤9 weeks’ gestation (51.0%), followed by surgical abortion at ≤13 weeks’ gestation (40.0%), surgical abortion at >13 weeks’ gestation (6.7%), and medical abortion at >9 weeks’ gestation (2.4%); all other methods were uncommon (<0.1%). Among those that were eligible (≤9 weeks’ gestation), 63.9% of abortions were early medical abortions. In 2019, the most recent year for which PMSS data were reviewed for pregnancy-related deaths, four women died as a result of complications from legal induced abortion.InterpretationAmong the 48 areas that reported data continuously during 2011–2020, overall decreases were observed during 2011–2020 in the total number, rate, and ratio of reported abortions. From 2019 to 2020, decreases also were observed in the total number and rate of reported abortions; however, a 2% increase was observed in the total abortion ratio.Public Health ActionAbortion surveillance can be used to help evaluate programs aimed at promoting equitable access to patient-centered quality contraceptive services in the United States to reduce unintended pregnancies.