April 13 -- On April 8, 2021, OMB approved a Census Bureau request to add content to the Household Pulse Survey Phase 3.1 -- demographic screener questions from the Department of Defense (DOD) to identify Service members and military spouses (Q8a), and from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to classify respondents employed in “essential” worker groups (Q13c and Q13d). The Census Bureau initiated the revised survey on April 14. It invites the public to provide comments to OMB by May 13, 2021 on the value of these additions and on any other aspect of the Household Pulse Survey.
The Household Pulse Survey is designed to collect and disseminate data on a near real-time basis to inform on the social and economic impacts of the Covid‐19 Pandemic. Data from the Household Pulse Survey will allow DOD to enhance services and target resources to help alleviate the impact of the pandemic on Service members and their families. The CDC will benefit from the data to respond to ongoing impacts of the pandemic and target outreach efforts to promote vaccine access and uptake among essential worker groups, such as healthcare personnel, first responders. and food and agriculture workers.
CDC also requested a change to the question on intent to receive COVID-19 vaccine. Previously, the question forced respondents who may be uncertain about their plans to receive COVID-19 vaccination to choose between probably getting or probably not getting vaccinated. Adding a middle response option, e.g., "I have not decided whether I will get a vaccine" allows these respondents to be identified and characterized to guide development of specific strategies to boost vaccine confidence in this group, both overall and among essential workers.
On March 24, the Census Bureau completed a non-response bias analysis of the Household Pulse Survey data to increase understanding with regard to the quality of the data as a new, experimental product. This report and related tables are available at:
https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/household-pulse-survey/technical-documentation.html#nonresp
On April 14, the Census Bureau posted a new COVID-19 Vaccination Tracker
https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/household-pulse-survey-covid-19-vaccination-tracker.html
Approved revised Household Pulse Survey instrument:
https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/DownloadDocument?objectID=110239100
DoD letter to Census requesting screener questions:
https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/DownloadDocument?objectID=110238900
CDC letter to Census requesting screener questions:
https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/DownloadDocument?objectID=110239000
FR notice inviting public comments to OMB:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/04/13/2021-07509/agency-information-collection-activities-submission-to-the-office-of-management-and-budget-omb-for
