Public Policy Updates

AirBoss Defense Group (ADG) issued a user notice dated April 2023 to remind users and entities that store the FlexAir powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs) of battery maintenance and long-term storage requirements communicated in FlexAir Powered Air Purifying Respirator User Instruction (P/N C-85090-00) provided with each unit. The instructions note that long-term storage, 6 months or … Continued

NIOSH has honored a request by E.D. Bullard Company to voluntarily rescind 24 NIOSH respirator approvals issued to E.D. Bullard Company. As of April 21, 2023, any respirator marked with a NIOSH approval label with the following approval numbers are no longer NIOSH approved and may not be used, manufactured, assembled, sold, or distributed: 19C-0540, … Continued

NIOSH has honored a request by Honeywell International Inc. to voluntarily rescind certain NIOSH respirator approvals issued to Honeywell International Inc. As of April 14, 2023, any respirator marked with a NIOSH approval label with the following approval numbers are no longer NIOSH approved and may no longer be used, manufactured, assembled, sold, or distributed: … Continued

The Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (PACCARB) released a report with recommendations on “Preparing for the Next Pandemic in the Era of Antimicrobial Resistance.” The report divides its 14 recommendations into four categories: Infection Prevention and Control and Antimicrobial Stewardship; Workforce Expansion; Data Sharing and Security; and Product Innovation. It also included three … Continued

In a recent study, NIOSH noted numerous challenges that the PPE community experiences when trying to locate filtering facepiece respirator (FFR) shelf life information. NIOSH does not currently require approval holders to designate a shelf life for FFRs, deferring to approval holders to establish shelf life recommendations for their specific product. To assist PPE users, NIOSH … Continued

The FDA is recommending that consumers, healthcare providers, and facilities not use certain surgical N95 respirators manufactured by O&M Halyard, and to use caution with certain surgical masks and pediatric face masks manufactured by O&M Halyard. Test results show certain models of these products do not meet quality and performance expectations and may not provide … Continued

The FDA issued a safety notice to remind consumers that hand sanitizers are regulated as over-the-counter (OTC, or nonprescription) drugs by the FDA. The notice included safety tips for the storage and use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Read more.

The FDA amended the emergency use authorizations (EUAs) of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 bivalent mRNA vaccines to simplify the vaccination schedule for most individuals. This action includes authorizing the current bivalent vaccines (original and omicron BA.4/BA.5 strains) to be used for all doses administered to individuals 6 months of age and older, including for … Continued

April 6: CDC has issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory to inform clinicians and public health departments in the United States about two confirmed outbreaks of Marburg virus disease (MVD)—one in Equatorial Guinea and one in Tanzania. Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that these two outbreaks are related; most experts agree … Continued