Policy Updates

The CDC Clinician Outreach and Communications Activity (COCA) team will host a webinar on “New Clinical Tools and Resources to Support Patients with Prolonged Symptoms and Concerns about Lyme Disease.” The webinar will be on Thursday, September 19 at 2 – 3 pm ET. Read more.

The Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) held a public meeting on August 22. Workgroups on Isolation Precautions, Dental Unit Waterlines, and Infection Control in HCP presented updates on their activities. Although the official meeting minutes are not yet available, CDC published a summary of key issues discussed at the meeting. Read the HICPAC … Continued

CMS has updated the Quality Reporting Program (QRP) Quality Measure Calculations and Reporting User’s Manual Version 6.0 for post-acute care (PAC) settings. These documents update the specifications used to calculate quality measures that are included in the CMS QRPs. Read the updated manuals for the Skilled Nursing Facility QRP, Inpatient Rehab Facility QRP, and Long-Term … Continued

NIOSH is observing Respiratory Protection Week September 3-6, 2024. The observance began as N95 Day on September 5, 2012 (9/5, get it?), and was expanded to a week-long observance in 2019 to mark the 100th anniversary of the first respirator certification program in the U.S. NIOSH marks the week by providing resources for workers who … Continued

The FDA approved and granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccines with the 2024-2025 formula that more closely targets the currently circulating variants. Read more.

The FDA will host a webinar to discuss new guidance to clarify the distinction between servicing and remanufacturing medical devices, and the different regulatory responsibilities for these activities. The webinar will be on Tuesday, September 10 at 1:00 – 2:00 pm ET. Read more.

The CDC issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory to notify clinicians and public health authorities of an increase in Oropouche virus disease in the Americas, originating from endemic areas in the Amazon basin and new areas in South America and the Caribbean. Between January 1 and August 1, 2024, more than 8,000 cases … Continued

The CDC issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory to notify healthcare providers, public health authorities, and the public about current increases in human parvovirus B19 activity in the U.S. Parvovirus B19 is a highly transmissible seasonal respiratory virus that is transmitted through respiratory droplets by people with symptomatic or asymptomatic infection. In the U.S., there … Continued

Beginning November 1, CMS will require acute care hospitals and critical access hospitals to electronically report information via NHSN about COVID-19, influenza, and RSV. This reporting will have a new standardized format and frequency in order to provide situational awareness of the impact of these respiratory diseases. Please watch for additional information from the NHSN … Continued