Public Policy Updates

NIOSH has designated the week of September 5-8, 2023 as Respiratory Protection Week. This week-long observance highlights the importance of respiratory protection in the workplace and provides resources to help users make educated decisions when selecting and wearing a respirator. Read more.

The CDC issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Update to share new information about a single case of locally acquired malaria in Maryland reported on August 18, 2023. The Maryland case is a different malaria species and unrelated to the seven cases identified in Florida and the one case identified in Texas earlier in … Continued

The CDC COCA group will host a webinar on 2023-2024 Recommendations for Influenza Prevention and Treatment in Children: An Update for Pediatric Providers. The webinar will be on Thursday, August 31 at 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET. Free continuing education will be available. More information and a link to the webinar can be found here.

The CDC Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) group reports that outbreaks of antifungal-resistant ringworm infections have been identified by public health officials in New York City, as well as several other U.S. states, Canada, Asia and Europe. Although ringworm is usually a minor ailment that can be treated with topical antifungal medications, some current … Continued

The Department of Health and Human Services announced the formation of the Office of Long COVID Research and Practice to lead a coordinated whole-of-government response to long COVID. The office will be housed within the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health. In addition, the National Institutes of Health will launch Long COVID clinical … Continued

Following FDA’s May 2023 approval of Pfizer and GSK vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to recommend that adults aged 60 and older may receive a single dose of the RSV vaccine, using shared clinical decision-making between the patient and their healthcare provider. Read more.

The CDC’s COVID Data Tracker is showing small increases in COVID-19. As of July 17, COVID-19 indicators, including emergency department visits, test positivity, and wastewater levels, have begun to show small increases nationally. In addition, hospital admissions have leveled off after steadily declining.

NIOSH will host a webinar to present the findings of the Routine Elastomeric Use and Evaluations in Healthcare (REUsE) study on Tuesday, August 8 at 9:00 – 11:00 am ET. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility and practicality of routinely using reusable elastomeric half mask respirators (EHMR) in healthcare settings. Register … Continued

July 13, 2013 — CDC is working to make information on COVID-19 readily available and easier to find. As part of this ongoing effort, a new, refocused CDC COVID-19 website has been published. The web pages will reflect those most searched for information and will help to frame COVID-19 actions as those that can be … Continued