Public Policy Updates

CDC Releases 2024 HAI Progress Report The CDC released the 2024 annual National and State HAI Progress Report. The report provides a summary of select HAIs across four healthcare settings: acute care hospitals, critical access hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, and long-term acute care hospitals. Among acute care hospitals nationally, the report shows decreases in CLABSI, … Continued

Apply Now for HIPAG APIC and SHEA are accepting applications for voting members for the Joint Healthcare Infection Prevention Advisory Group (HIPAG). The advisory group will provide national leadership in infection prevention and control to address gaps left by the elimination of CDC’s HICPAC. Applicants must be a member of APIC, SHEA, or both. Find … Continued

CDC Advisory: New World Screwworm near U.S. Border The CDC issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory about recent New World screwworm (NWS) animal cases near the U.S.-Mexico border. This outbreak has impacted animals in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, which borders Texas. While NWS infestations primarily impact livestock, it can also affect other … Continued

The CDC’s Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) team is sponsoring a webinar, “From Cave to Clinic: Managing Histoplasmosis in Returning Travelers.” Presenters will focus on cave-associated outbreaks in travelers visiting Central and South America. The webinar is Thursday, January 15 at 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET. Learn more.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced that HHS has reduced the number of universally recommended childhood vaccines from 17 to 11. Although the vaccine schedule overhaul is unlikely to result in families losing access or insurance coverage for vaccines, the move may lead to reduced uptake and increase cases of vaccine-preventable disease. Read the … Continued

The American Medical Association (AMA) will be hosting a webinar with CDC experts to inform clinicians about the unusually severe West Nile Virus outbreaks this year, with human disease cases across 45 states. The webinar will be Friday, October 24 at 3:00 pm ET. Register here for the webinar.

The National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC) is partnering with the CDC to present a webinar on the latest outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The webinar will be Friday, October 24 at 3:00 pm ET. Webinar presenters will discuss the current outbreak along with … Continued

As a member of the Global Infection Prevention and Control Network (GIPCN), APIC signed on to a letter calling on the World Health Organization (WHO) to restore resources and staffing for global infection prevention and control programs to previous levels. The letter to the Director-General also calls on the WHO to establish a clear implementation … Continued

As of this writing, it appears likely that the federal government will cease most operations due to lack of funding at 12:01 am ET on Wednesday, October 1. Each federal agency has developed a contingency plan in the event of a shutdown. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) plan calls for furlough of … Continued