Policy Updates

CDC’s Project Firstline will host a town hall with SHEA and AMA to review post-PHE updates to infection prevention and control COVID-19 recommendations and the infection control actions that continue to be effective at stopping the spread of respiratory viruses in healthcare. This town hall will also feature a panel of healthcare professionals that will … Continued

Updated May 8, 2023 — As of May 11, CDC will no longer receive data needed to publish Community Transmission levels for SARS-CoV-2. This metric informed CDC’s recommendations for broader use of source control in healthcare facilities to allow for earlier intervention, to avoid strain on a healthcare system, and to better protect individuals seeking … Continued

Following FDA regulatory action, CDC is updating and simplifying COVID-19 vaccine recommendations. New recommendations include: CDC will sponsor a Clinician Outreach and Communications Activity (COCA) webinar to review the updated recommendations on Thursday, May 11 at 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET. Click here for more information and to access the call.

The Biden Administration announced that federal COVID-19 vaccination requirements will end on May 11 with the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency. This announcement applies to federal employees and contractors. In addition, HHS will begin the process of ending COVID vaccination requirements for healthcare personnel (HCP) working in CMS-certified healthcare facilities. Read the White … Continued

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