Policy Updates

NIOSH will host a webinar to present the findings of a study to determine the efficacy of common hospital disinfectants on elastomeric half mask respirators (EHMR), assess and compare different disinfection methods, and determine best practices. The webinar will be on Tuesday, July 11 from 1:00 – 2:00 pm ET. Learn more.

The CDC Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) group will host a webinar on “What Providers Need to Know about Zoonotic Influenza.” The webinar will be on Tuesday, June 20 at 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET. Free continuing education is available. Learn more and link to the webinar.

The declaration of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) in 2020 enabled the federal government to implement the largest vaccination program in U.S. history, providing nearly 700 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines free of charge. Now that the PHE has expired, most Americans will be able to access the vaccines and COVID-19 treatments through their … Continued

APIC submitted comments to CMS on proposed regulations covering annual updates to payment and quality programs for acute care, long-term acute care, and cancer hospitals, as well as skilled nursing facilities, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, and inpatient psychiatric facilities. APIC comments included: Read APIC’s comments to CMS on the FY 2024 proposed rules for:

With the end of the public health emergency (PHE), CMS is adjusting its approach to COVID-19 prevention to align with that of other infectious diseases such as influenza. To that end, CMS published a final rule June 5 revising three interim final rules issued during the PHE relating to COVID-19 vaccination and testing. The revised … Continued

The CDC issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Update to provide additional information on the outbreak of fungal meningitis among patients who underwent procedures under epidural anesthesia in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. As of June 1, 2023, a multistate outbreak is ongoing among patients who underwent procedures under epidural anesthesia at two clinics: River Side … Continued

The CDC issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory about an outbreak of suspected fungal meningitis among U.S. patients hospitalized in Texas after undergoing cosmetic procedures under epidural anesthesia in the city of Matamoros, state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. As of May 12, five patients have been hospitalized and one has died. Healthcare providers and the … Continued

Effective immediately, NIOSH revoked approval for eight filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) and four powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs) that received temporary approval during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) to address respirator supply shortages. These approvals were limited to the PHE and intended to be revoked when the PHE ended. The PHE-approved respirators, identifiable by the … Continued

The CDC issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Update to remind clinicians of ongoing community transmission of mpox (formerly known as Monkeypox). Although cases have declined since peaking in August 2022, CDC is currently investigating a cluster of mpox cases in the Chicago area. The purpose of this HAN update is to inform clinicians … Continued