Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) Email Updates for February 17, 2015

Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) Email Updates for March 2, 2015

March is National Nutrition Month, and a great time to review the food in your emergency kit to make sure it is healthy and safe. Learn more about the foods you should choose for your emergency food supply and the best way to safely store your emergency kit food in our latest blog.

Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) Email Updates for February 2, 2015

Great work starts with a great leader. CDC’s Office of Public Health and Response, OPHPR, is privileged to welcome a great leader to our team, Director Rear Admiral Stephen C. Redd, MD. Learn more about Dr. Redd’s background at CDC and plans for the future of OPHPR in our new blog post.

Natural disasters, industrial accidents, terrorism attacks, and pandemics all have the capacity to result in large numbers of critically ill or injured patients. A barrage of patients with various clinical needs can quickly exhaust the care delivery capacity of a healthcare system. It is important for clinicians to have a disaster response plan that addresses approaches to maintaining quality care during times of patient surge and resource scarcity. During this COCA Call, participants will learn about the series of suggestions that focus on the management of multiple critically ill patients during a disaster or pandemic, and the importance of collaboration among front-line clinicians, hospital administrators, professional societies, and public health or government officials.

Jenny Gottstein takes a new approach to emergency preparedness by using interactive games to offer people a more social, memorable and fun way to tackle disaster preparedness. Checkout what Jenny’s recent cross-country train trip taught her about how games can be used to help people prepare for disaster in our latest blog post.

From January 1 to February 6, 2015, 121 people from 17 states and Washington DC were reported to have measles. Most of these cases are part of a large, ongoing multi-state outbreak linked to an amusement park in California; however, unlinked importations continue to occur. The majority of the people who got measles were unvaccinated or did not know their vaccination status. This highly contagious, acute viral illness spreads quickly in unvaccinated populations, highlighting the importance of protecting children and adults against measles in the U.S. through vaccination. During this COCA call, clinicians will learn about the current measles situation in the US. In addition, they will learn about clinical guidelines for patient assessment and management, and age-appropriate vaccination recommendations for US residents including those who travel abroad.

A recent analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found influenza A (H3N2) viruses are the predominant strain this year, and a little more than half of samples analyzed were found to be antigenically different (drifted) from the H3N2 vaccine strain. During this COCA Webinar, clinicians will learn about the current state of flu activity related to children, the importance of continued vaccination despite the mismatch and low vaccine effectiveness, and strategies for using antiviral therapy early to prevent and treat influenza.

For some of us, this winter has been anything but picturesque, let alone adorable. As winter stretches on, the latest Public Health Matters blog will remind you of the importance of winter safety… with a few cute puppies thrown in for good measure. Check out the blog for tips on everything from avoiding frostbite or heating your home safely.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and State Health Departments are investigating a multi-state outbreak of measles associated with travel to Disneyland Resort Theme Parks (which includes Disneyland and Disney California Adventure). The purpose of this HAN Advisory is to notify public health departments and healthcare facilities about this measles outbreak and to provide guidance to healthcare providers. Healthcare providers should ensure that all of their patients are current on MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine. They should consider measles in the differential diagnosis of patients with fever and rash and ask patients about recent international travel or travel to domestic venues frequented by international travelers. They should also ask patients about their history of measles exposures in their community. Please disseminate this information to healthcare providers in hospitals and emergency rooms, to primary care providers, and to microbiology laboratories.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and State Health Departments are investigating a multi-state outbreak of measles associated with travel to Disneyland Resort Theme Parks (which includes Disneyland and Disney California Adventure). The purpose of this HAN Advisory is to notify public health departments and healthcare facilities about this measles outbreak and to provide guidance to healthcare providers. Healthcare providers should ensure that all of their patients are current on MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine. They should consider measles in the differential diagnosis of patients with fever and rash and ask patients about recent international travel or travel to domestic venues frequented by international travelers. They should also ask patients about their history of measles exposures in their community. Please disseminate this information to healthcare providers in hospitals and emergency rooms, to primary care providers, and to microbiology laboratories.

Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) Email Updates for January 20, 2015

Inadequate or non-existing maps of remote areas in West Africa are just one of the issues faced by teams responding to Ebola. Find out how volunteers from around the world are using an online mapping platform to create detailed maps of remote areas in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and parts of Mali.

The latest FluView report indicates that flu activity remains high in the United States and is now widespread in 46 states and Guam. It has been recognized for many years that people 65 years and older are at higher risk of serious complications from the flu, and this flu season the hospitalization rates in this age group are climbing steeply. CDC recommends that all hospitalized and high risk patients (either hospitalized or outpatient) with suspected influenza should be treated as soon as possible with one of three available influenza antiviral medications, without waiting for confirmatory influenza testing. During this COCA Webinar, clinicians will learn about 2014-2015 influenza activity, hear a summary of CDC’s current antiviral recommendations, and gain insight into data that inform the antiviral recommendations.

Widespread influenza activity is being reported in most U.S. states, with influenza A (H3N2) viruses most common. H3N2-predominant flu seasons have been associated with more hospitalizations and deaths in older people and young children in the past. In addition, approximately two-thirds of H3N2 viruses that have been tested at CDC are antigenically or genetically different from the H3N2 vaccine virus. This difference suggests that vaccine effectiveness may be reduced this season. High hospitalization rates are being observed, similar to what was seen during the 2012-2013 influenza season. Hospitalization rates are especially high among people 65 years and older. In this context, the use of influenza antiviral drugs as an adjunct to vaccination becomes even more important than usual in protecting people from influenza. Antiviral medications are effective in treating influenza and reducing complications. Antivirals are available and recommended, but evidence from the current and previous influenza seasons suggests that they are severely underutilized.

Widespread influenza activity is being reported in most U.S. states, with influenza A (H3N2) viruses most common. H3N2-predominant flu seasons have been associated with more hospitalizations and deaths in older people and young children in the past. In addition, approximately two-thirds of H3N2 viruses that have been tested at CDC are antigenically or genetically different from the H3N2 vaccine virus. This difference suggests that vaccine effectiveness may be reduced this season. High hospitalization rates are being observed, similar to what was seen during the 2012-2013 influenza season. Hospitalization rates are especially high among people 65 years and older. In this context, the use of influenza antiviral drugs as an adjunct to vaccination becomes even more important than usual in protecting people from influenza. Antiviral medications are effective in treating influenza and reducing complications. Antivirals are available and recommended, but evidence from the current and previous influenza seasons suggests that they are severely underutilized.

Mock Ebola treatment units, practice with PPE, and hands-on training are just a few aspects of CDC’s training for Ebola healthcare workers in Anniston, Alabama. Find out how CDC is preparing volunteer healthcare workers to serve on the frontline of the Ebola outbreak.

Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) Email Updates for January 05, 2015

Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) Email Updates for December 29, 2014