COCA Email Updates: September 14, 2015 – September 28, 2015

Available for download: September 28, 2015, COCA Email Update

---

COCA News and Announcements

Upcoming COCA Calls/Webinars:

Title: How to Prevent and Control Pediatric Influenza

Date: Thursday, October 1, 2015

Time: 2:00 - 3:00 pm (Eastern Time)

Dial In Number: 888-469-1370 (U.S. Callers); 517-308-9218 (International Callers)

Passcode: 3791890

Webinar: http://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?i=PW5219520&p=3791890&t=c

Children, especially those with chronic medical conditions or neurologic and neurodevelopmental disorders, are at higher risk of influenza-associated complications. Influenza prevention and control strategies in this at-risk population should include annual seasonal influenza immunization for all people 6 months and older and prompt antiviral treatment when influenza disease is indicated. During this COCA call, subject matter experts will discuss strategies that providers can use to improve influenza prevention and control in children at highest risk.

Recent COCA Calls/Webinars:

Title: The Role of Clinicians in Addressing the Opioid Overdose Epidemic

Date:Thursday, September 24, 2015

Title: Weathering the Storm — Understanding the Mental Health Impact of Hurricane Sandy

Date:Thursday, September 17, 2015

Additional COCA Conference Calls

Free continuing education credits (CME, CNE, ACPE, CEU, CECH, and AAVSB/RACE) are available for most calls. More information about free CE.

---

CDC Emergency Response – CDC Response to 2014 Ebola in the United States and West Africa

NEW: Enhanced entry screening ends for travelers from Liberia
 

On September 21, 2015, enhanced entry screening was discontinued for travelers coming to the United States from Liberia. This follows a CDC determination that the risk of Ebola importation into the United States by travelers from Liberia is low and that Liberia has implemented effective control measures.

• Travelers will continue to undergo exit screening before leaving Liberia.
• Travelers coming from Liberia will no longer be funneled through the five U.S. airports that are conducting enhanced entry screening.
• CDC recommends travelers coming to the United States from Liberia watch their health for possible symptoms of illness (feeling feverish, diarrhea, vomiting, weakness, fatigue, stomach pain, muscle pain, or unexplained bleeding or bruising) until 21 days after leaving Liberia. They should contact their state or local health department or seek health care should symptoms develop.
• Entry screening and monitoring measures have not changed for travelers entering the United States from Guinea or Sierra Leone. This includes travelers from Liberia who have also traveled to either Guinea or Sierra Leone within the previous 21 days. For more information, see CDC’s Interim U.S. Guidance for Monitoring and Movement of Persons with Potential Ebola Virus Exposure.

CDC recommends healthcare providers screen all patients for travel and exposure history as well as symptoms to quickly implement infection control protocols, and ensure patients get appropriate care without delay. For travelers from Guinea, Sierra Leone, and, in particular, Liberia, CDC recommends that healthcare providers not only consider Ebola, but other diseases for which quick evaluation and treatment are important, such as malaria.

CDC has resources available for clinical healthcare providers, healthcare workers, and health departments who are coordinating the evaluation of persons under investigation (PUIs) for Ebola to help determine when to enact infection control, notify state and local health departments, and guide patient care based on evaluated risk factors.

NEW: Emergency Guidelines Implementation and management of contact tracing for Ebola virus disease

Updated: Case Counts

CDC News and Announcements

NEW: National Preparedness Month

September is National Preparedness Month, and more than 3,000 organizations across the nation will join CDC in encouraging Americans to take action to be prepared. This year, CDC will focus on communities of preparedness and will target messaging and products to the following groups:

• Week one: Family
• Week two: Neighborhood
• Week three: Workplace and School
• Week four: Global
• Final four days: Online Social Media Community

For each topic in September, CDC’s Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (OPHPR) plans to release Public Health Matters blog posts, social media messages (including a Twitter chat and a Thunderclap), and graphics. Visit CDC’s National Preparedness Month web page for links to all of its National Preparedness Month content.

CDC Science Clips: Volume 7, Issue: 38 – (CDC)

Each week select science clips are shared with the public health community to enhance awareness of emerging scientific knowledge. The focus is applied public health research and prevention science that has the capacity to improve health now.

Public Health Preparedness

Emergency Preparedness and Response - (CDC)

Find preparedness resources for all hazards.

Emergency Preparedness and Response Training Resources for Clinicians – (CDC)

Find online and in-person training resources.

Natural Disasters and Severe Weather

Food and Water Needs: Preparing for a Disaster or Emergency – (CDC)

Health and Safety Concerns for All Disasters – (CDC)

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)

MMWR publications are prepared by CDC. Electronically Subscribe.

September 25, 2015 / Vol. 64 / No. 37 Download .pdf document of this issue

• Global Progress Toward Rubella and Congenital Rubella Syndrome Control and Elimination — 2000–2014
• Notes from the Field: Vancomycin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus — Delaware, 2015
• CDC Grand Rounds: Addressing Preparedness Challenges for Children in Public Health Emergencies
  

Infectious, Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases

Seasonal Influenza

What You Should Know for the 2015-2016 Influenza Season

Information for Health Professionals

Weekly Flu View – September 25 (CDC)

Flu View is a weekly influenza surveillance report prepared by CDC Influenza Division. All data are preliminary and may change as CDC receives more reports.

Planning and Preparedness: Health Professionals and Seasonal Flu - (HHS)

Health care providers play an important role during flu season. The following guidance and information will assist health care providers and service organizations to plan and respond to seasonal flu.

Travel Safety

Current Travel Warnings - September 25 (US Department of State)

The U.S. Department of State issues Travel Warnings when long-term, protracted conditions make a country dangerous or unstable. Travel Warnings recommend that Americans avoid or carefully consider the risk of travel to that country. The State Department also issues Travel Warnings when the U.S. Government's ability to assist American citizens is constrained due to the closure of an embassy or consulate, or because of a drawdown of State Department staff.

Food, Drug and Device Safety

NEW: FDA Investigates Outbreak of Listeria Linked to Soft Cheeses Distributed by Karoun Dairies Inc. - (FDA)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local officials are investigating several cases of listeriosis.

MedWatch: The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program – (FDA)

MedWatch is your Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gateway for clinically important safety information and reporting serious problems with human medical products.

FoodSafety.gov Reports FDA and USDA Food Recalls, Alerts, Reporting & Resources – (HHS/USDA/FDA/CDC/NIH)

Foodsafety.gov lists notices of recalls and alerts from both FDA and USDA. Visitors to the site can report a problem or make inquiries.