COCA Email Updates: January 03 - January 17, 2012
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Available for download: January 17, 2012 COCA Email Update 
COCA News and Announcements
Upcoming COCA Webinar: 2011 - 2016 Public Health Emergency Preparedness Capabilities: Opportunities for Clinician Engagement with State and Local Public Health Departments
Date: January 25, 2012
Time: 2:00 – 3:00 pm (Eastern Time)
Call Number: 888-677-1801
Passcode: 6902857
To join this Webinar
One of the nation's key preparedness challenges has been determining appropriate state and local public health preparedness priorities. In March 2011 CDC released the Public Health Preparedness Capabilities: National Standards for State and Local Planning to serve as national public health preparedness standards that can support public health, medical, and mental/behavioral health systems during emergency incidents. Clinicians have a vital role in helping public health departments assure the public’s health during emergency incidents. During this COCA conference call, a CDC subject matter expert will provide an overview of this National Standards document and highlight opportunities for clinician engagement.
For more information on this call
Archived COCA Conference Calls
Public Health Preparedness Summit Pre-Session Workshop: Risk Smart, Viral Savvy—The New Emergency Communications Reality
Date: February 21, 2012 (Tuesday)
Time: 8:30am – 5:30 pm (ET)
Location: Anaheim, CA
The public expects more communications savvy from leaders in today's world. Local leaders are called upon to master both the news conference and the Tweet to build public cooperation and support for preparedness, response, and recovery measures. CDC’s Health Partners Outreach Team has two presentations at the 2012 Public Health Preparedness Summit Pre – Summit workshop. Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication – Version 2.0 and Building Support and Engaging Audiences through Traditional and New Media Outreach are sessions that will help build expertise in risk communication principles and techniques and best partnership-communications practices. Participate in these interactive sessions at the 2012 Public Health Preparedness Summit to learn more.
Public Health Preparedness
BARDA unveils path forward in the BARDA Strategic Plan 2011-2016 – Jan 04 (HHS)
The BARDA Strategic Plan defines a set of core principles that will improve BARDA’s ability to manage resources efficiently, strengthen public-private partnerships, and promote the broad categories of countermeasures that BARDA is most interested in pursuing to protect health and save lives in a public health emergency.
FDA to protect important class of antimicrobial drugs for treating human illness – Jan 04 (FDA)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an order that prohibits certain uses of the cephalosporin class of antimicrobial drugs in cattle, swine, chickens and turkeys effective April 5, 2012. Antimicrobial drugs are important for treating disease in both humans and animals. This new order takes into consideration the substantial public comment FDA received on a similar order that it issued in 2008, but revoked prior to implementation.
Making Progress, End to End, in Medical Countermeasures – (HHS)
People in the United States and across the globe can be affected by new infectious diseases, by a virus that spreads globally – a pandemic – or by bioterrorism. These threats to the health of every one of us, our families, friends and neighbors can be catastrophic to our nation’s economy and way of life.
Emergency Preparedness and Response - (CDC)
To find resources for All Hazards and Specific Hazards preparedness.
Emergency Preparedness and Response Training Resources Page for Clinicians - (CDC)
For online and in-person training centers and resources.
Natural Disasters and Severe Weather
Be Prepared to Stay Safe and Healthy in Winter – Jan 9 (CDC)
Winter storms and cold temperatures can be hazardous, but if you plan ahead, you can stay safe and healthy. Prepare your home and cars. Prepare for power outages and outdoor activity. Check on the elderly.
Winter Weather: Take Steps – (CDC)
Taking preventive action is your best defense against having to deal with extreme cold-weather conditions. By preparing your home and car in advance for winter emergencies, and by observing safety precautions during times of extremely cold weather, you can reduce the risk of weather-related health problems.
Winter Weather: Indoor Safety – (CDC)
Extreme Cold: A Prevention Guide to Promote Your Personal Health and Safety – (CDC)
Clinical Guidance for Carbon Monoxide (CO) Poisoning After a Disaster – (CDC)
Prevent Carbon Monoxide (CO) Poisoning – (CDC)
If you don't have a battery-powered or battery back-up CO alarm, now is a great time to buy one. More than 400 people die each year in the US from unintentional, non-fire related CO poisoning.
Safe and Well – American Red Cross (ARC)
After a disaster, letting your family and friends know that you are safe and well can bring your loved ones great peace of mind. This website is designed to help make that communication easier.
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
MMWR weekly reports and publications are prepared by the CDC. Electronically Subscribe
January 13, 2012 / Vol. 61 / No. 1 Download .pdf document of this issue
- Surveillance for Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection — New York City, June 2008–November 2009
- CDC Grand Rounds: Prescription Drug Overdoses — a U.S. Epidemic
- Vital Signs: Binge Drinking Prevalence, Frequency, and Intensity Among Adults — United States, 2010
- Notice to Readers: Discontinuation of Inclusion of Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables in Print Copies of the MMWR Weekly Publication
- Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables
Infectious, Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases
Influenza
Weekly Flu View – Jan 13 (CDC)
During week 01, 7.2% of all deaths reported through the 122-Cities Mortality Reporting System were due to pneumonia and influenza. This percentage was below the epidemic threshold of 7.6% for week 01.
Information on H3N2 Variant Influenza A Viruses – Jan 06 (CDC)
In the second half of 2011, a number of U.S. residents were found to be infected with influenza A variant viruses, primarily H3N2v. Investigations revealed human infections with these viruses following contact with swine as well as limited human-to-human transmission. While H3N2v viruses have been detected in U.S. swine, it's unknown how widespread they are in swine herds. It's possible that sporadic infections and even localized outbreaks among people with this virus will continue to occur.
Update: Guidance Documents Related to Preventing the Spread of Influenza A Viruses – Jan 04 (CDC)
Q & As
Updated: Key Facts about Human Infections with Variant Viruses (Swine Origin Influenza Viruses in Humans) – Jan 06 (CDC)
Information on Swine Influenza/Variant Influenza Viruses – Jan 06 (CDC)
Infectious Diseases
Cronobacter Illness and Infant Formula – Jan 11 (CDC)
In infants, Cronobacter infection can cause a very rare, but serious illness. Learn what you can do to help lower the risk of infection from powdered.
Protect Your Unborn Baby or Newborn from Infections – Jan 9 (CDC)
If you're pregnant or planning a pregnancy, there are simple steps you can take to protect your unborn baby or newborn from infections that cause serious health problems.
National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP) Atlas – Jan 9 (CDC)
The NCHHSTP Atlas was created to provide an interactive platform for accessing HIV, Viral Hepatitis, sexually transmitted disease (STD), and tuberculosis (TB) data collected by CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP). This interactive tool provides CDC an effective way to disseminate data, while allowing users to observe trends and patterns by creating detailed reports, maps, and other graphics.
CDC Awards $339 Million to Health Departments for High-Impact HIV Prevention – Jan 04 (CDC)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has begun awarding a total of almost $339 million to state and local health departments across the United States to fund HIV prevention activities this year. The awards are for the first year of a five-year funding cycle and represent a new direction for CDC HIV funding designed to achieve a higher level of impact with every federal HIV prevention dollar spent.
Rubella: Make Sure Your Child Gets Vaccinated – Jan 03 (CDC)
Rubella is usually mild in children. But for some people—especially pregnant women and their babies—rubella can be serious. Don't take chances. Protect your child and others with the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine.
Is Your Child Protected against Hib Disease? – Jan 03 (CDC)
Hib bacteria can cause severe diseases like meningitis, but Hib disease is vaccine-preventable. Your child should get the full series of Hib shots as an infant plus one booster shot at 12 through 15 months of age.
Travel Safety
Polio– Jan 06 (CDC)
Polio is a crippling and potentially fatal infectious disease. There is no cure, but there are safe and effective vaccines. Therefore, the strategy to eradicate polio is based on preventing infection by immunizing every child to stop transmission and ultimately make the world polio free.
Food, Drug and Device Safety
FoodSafety.gov Reports FDA and USDA Food Recalls, Alerts, Reporting & Resources – Jan 16 (HHS/UDSA/FDA/CDC/NIH)
For recalls and alerts by both FDA and USDA, or to report a problem or make inquiries, visit FoodSafety.gov.
FDA fielding app to track drug side effects during emergencies – Jan 05 (Nextgov)
The Food and Drug Administration is building a surveillance app for clinicians and regulators to monitor patients having bad reactions to experimental drugs administered during public health crises. The so-called Real-Time Application for Portable Interactive Devices, or RAPID, will collect videos and images of patient reactions, such as skin lesions, as well as sound recordings of medical histories. And the app will be able to display geographic trends in effects by tracking the Global Positioning System locations of users.
The CDC and HHS logos are the exclusive property of the Department of Health and Human Services and may not be used for any purpose without prior express written permission. Use of trade names and commercial sources is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the US Department of Health and Human Services.
Links to non-Federal organizations are provided solely as a service to our users. Links do not constitute an endorsement of any organization by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. The CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organizations.
- Page last updated January 18, 2012
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