Which of the following is NOT a common data source for public health surveillance?

• A. Vital records
• B. Disease registries
• C. Lab data
• D. Economic reports

Answer: (D)

Public health surveillance relies on data that describe health events as they occur and are recorded in official systems. Vital records provide authoritative counts of births and deaths, with relevant characteristics. Disease registries collect information on diagnosed conditions, enabling tracking of incidence and prevalence. Lab data supply test results that confirm cases and reveal trends in pathogens. These sources are built for consistency, timeliness, and comparability across places, which is essential for monitoring health status over time.

Economic reports focus on monetary aspects like costs and expenditures. While they can inform analyses of the economic impact of health issues, they do not directly measure health events or disease status and aren’t designed for the timely surveillance of health conditions. They’re not a common data source for public health surveillance.