Surveillance of severe influenza-associated encephalopathy and related complications in US children

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Office of Acquisition Services is seeking contractor services to perform surveillance on severe influenza-associated encephalopathy (IAE) in hospitalized US children aged 18 years and younger. The contract requires comprehensive surveillance activities including identification and recruitment of approximately 40 healthcare facilities, collection of detailed clinical information on identified IAE cases using standardized case definitions, medical record reviews, and assessment of influenza vaccination status through statewide vaccine registry reviews. Key contract objectives include assessing risk factors for severe disease, describing disease course and spectrum, and evaluating the impact of clinical interventions including influenza vaccination and antiviral medications. The Pre-Solicitation Notice was posted on January 16, 2026, with a deadline for capability statements on February 15, 2026. Interested firms should review the Draft Statement of Work and Sources Sought Notice to understand the detailed technical and operational requirements for this surveillance initiative.

This procurement carries no set-aside designation and is classified under NAICS 541380 (Testing Laboratories and Services). The contract encompasses a base performance period from August 1, 2026, through July 31, 2027, with four optional one-year extension periods extending through July 31, 2031, allowing for a maximum contract duration of five years. The target scope includes surveillance of up to 200 cases per non-pandemic influenza season, with five optional tasks addressing neuroradiologic evaluation, clinical specimen testing, genetic and immunologic risk assessment, neurodevelopmental outcome evaluation, and potential expansion to other influenza complications. Key deliverables consist of bimonthly surveillance dashboards, quarterly quality assurance reports, interim and final datasets, and supporting protocol and study documents. Prospective contractors should demonstrate existing multicenter surveillance network capability, previous infectious disease surveillance experience, and ability to access electronic health records and clinical specimens across multiple pediatric facilities.