Public Health Reports

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Public Health Reports is a peer‑reviewed public health journal that began in 1878. It is published by SAGE Publishing for the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health and the United States Public Health Service. The journal comes out every two months, and the editor‑in‑chief is Hazel D. Dean. Articles become fully open access one year after publication, though some pieces, like regular Surgeon General commentaries, are open access sooner.

A brief history
- 1878: Started as the Bulletins of the Public Health under the National Quarantine Act to report epidemics to Washington.
- 1879: Publication paused due to changes in quarantine responsibilities.
- 1887: Resumed as the Weekly Abstract of Sanitary Reports.
- 1896–1970: Published as Public Health Reports.
- 1971–1972 and 1972–1974: Brief periods as HSMHA Health Reports and then Health Services Reports.
- 1974–present: Returned to the Public Health Reports name and continued.

Why it matters
- It was a primary source of US epidemiological data in the early 20th century. In 1950, morbidity and mortality statistics moved to the CDC’s MMWR.
- In 1952 it absorbed three other journals: CDC Bulletin, Journal of Venereal Disease Information, and Tuberculosis Control.
- The journal has long covered emerging viral epidemics, including influenza, dengue, Zika, Ebola, and COVID-19. It published the first widely cited influenza pandemic case in 1918 (by Loring Miner) and has continually reported on new outbreaks, including COVID-19 after a 2020 call for papers.

Editors and impact
- A 2023 article traced editors‑in‑chief from 1878–2022 and found five women had served in that role.
- Marian P. Tebben was the longest‑serving editor‑in‑chief (1974–1994).
- Notable editors have included Hazel D. Dean and Frederic E. Shaw.
- The journal is indexed in major databases such as MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, and others. Its 2022 impact factor was 3.3.

Access
- The journal has a public webpage with online access and an archive.