Pertussis Surveillance in Veterans Affairs Medical Centers in Western United States – 2010-2014

We describe pertussis surveillance in VA from 2010-2014. 275 cases of pertussis were identified using the Hospital-Acquired Infection and Influenza Surveillance System which utilizes QC Pathfinder and VA ESSENCE applications. Nineteen cases were identified by both applications. Sixty-two cases were laboratory confirmed. Of the 275 cases, 10% required hospitalization, 43% of patients were tested for pertussis, and 54% had documentation of a Tdap vaccine (regardless of whether vaccine was given prior to encounter). VA could improve on testing of potential pertussis cases as well as vaccination rates