Hong Kong Study Shows Best Practices Protect Healthcare Workers from COVID-19

Updated: 13 March 2020

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Hong Kong Study Shows Best Practices Protect Healthcare Workers from COVID-19
Handwashing, personal protective equipment among keys to avoiding infection

NEW YORK (March 5, 2020) — Health systems can protect healthcare workers during the COVID-19 outbreak when best practices for infection control are diligently applied along with lessons learned from recent outbreaks, according to a study published today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

For more info: Hong Kong Study Shows Best Practices Protect Healthcare Workers from COVID-19

CDC Responds to Medical Facilities Requiring EMS Personnel to have Titers

Updated: 26 September 2019

Titer test resultsMedical facilities around the country have been requiring EMS personnel who do not have proof of a positive titer to the hepatitis B vaccine series be tested prior to clinical rotations. If the titer is <10mlU/ml, those facilities administer an additional dose of vaccine. These costs, which can be significant, are passed on to the EMS providers or their departments.

Read more: CDC Responds to Medical Facilities Requiring EMS Personnel to have Titers

Seqirus ShipsInfluenza Vaccine

Updated: 17 July 2019

July 15th, 2019 – An Australia-based, worldwide leader in influenza prevention announced it is the first to ship seasonal influenza vaccines to customers in the United States for the 2019-2020 influenza season.   

Seqirus said in a July 15, 2019 press release that it ‘expects to distribute over 50 million doses to the U.S. market this year, with the majority of doses coming from its adjuvanted and cell-based technology platforms.’ 

Read more: Seqirus ShipsInfluenza Vaccine

Nationwide Shortage of Tuberculin Skin Test Antigens: CDC Recommendations for Patient Care and Public Health Practice

Updated: 11 June 2019

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is expecting a 3 to 10 month nationwide shortage of APLISOL®, a product of Par Pharmaceuticals. APLISOL® is one of two purified-protein derivative (PPD) tuberculin antigens that are licensed by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in performing tuberculin skin tests. The manufacturer notified CDC that they anticipate a supply interruption of APLISOL® 5 mL (50 tests) beginning in June 2019, followed by a supply interruption of APLISOL® 1 mL (10 tests) in November 2019. The expected shortage of APLISOL® 1 mL (10 tests) could occur before November 2019, if demand increases before then. The 3-10 month timeframe for the nationwide shortage is the manufacturer’s current estimate and is subject to change. Read More...

Measles outbreak grows in northwest US, 31 cases reported

Updated: 28 January 2019

VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) — The number of confirmed measles cases near Portland grew to 31 on Friday — an outbreak boosted by lower-than-normal vaccination rates in what has been called an anti-vaccination U.S. “hot spot.” Read more. . 

OSHA Fines Illinois Ambulance Authority

Updated: 28 January 2019

Federal safety and health investigators have cited Altamont Ambulance Service Inc. in Fairview Heights, Ill., for workplace safety and health violations and fined the company $290,100.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Altamont failed to follow specific guidelines to protect emergency healthcare workers from exposure to bloodborne pathogens and other hazards while providing patient care.

OSHA issued five willful, 16 serious and three other-than-serious safety and health violations to the emergency medical service provider. The agency opened inspections in January 2016, after receiving a complaint alleging violations of OSHA’s bloodborne pathogen exposure and various other health and safety standards.

Read more...
View the OSHA citations

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The Source Newsletter

The Network has now been transfered to the National Association for Public Safety Infection Control Officers - NAPSICO.

NAPSICO offers The Source newsletter to members of the Infection Control Network. This bimonthly newsletter comes in two editions to help keep Network members abreast of current infection control issues. One newsletter is tailored for the medical and dental community and the other for law enforcement, fire/rescue, and ambulance service personnel.

For more information contact us at www.NAPSICO.org.

Are Antibacterial Soaps Safe?

Are Antibacterial Soaps Safe? Companies say there's no cause for alarm, but studies suggest they may be dangerous. Now the FDA is preparing to rule. 

Is the quest for clean doing more harm than good?

Read more...