September 12, 2017
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JUST RELEASED:
Crystal R. Watson, Matthew Watson, and Tara Kirk Sell
Robin Young, featuring Eric Toner
WBUR
Thomas Inglesby
Modern Healthcare
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Public Health & Healthcare Preparedness
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PRESS RELEASE
HHS Spurs New Antibiotic Development for Biodefense and Common Infections.
To combat potentially deadly Clostridium difficile infections that can occur in patients being treated for bacterial infections including anthrax, tularemia and other biothreats, the US Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response is partnering with Summit Therapeutics on late-stage development of a new antibiotic.
(ASPR, 9/11/17)
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BLOG
IHS Efforts for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.
The Indian Health Service (IHS) is working to assess the needs of local service units, tribes and tribal organizations to assist with health care and medical needs for those affected by the storms. Fifty-eight US Public Health Service Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov officers assigned to IHS have also deployed or are on alert for imminent deployment to assist and more are expected to join the effort.
(Indian Health Service, 9/8/17)
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HEALTH ALERT
Hurricane Harvey-Clinical Guidance for Carbon Monoxide (CO) Poisoning.
Hurricane Harvey made landfall between Port Aransas and Port O'Connor, Texas on August 25, 2017, causing 300,000 persons to lose power. When power outages occur during emergencies such as hurricanes or winter storms, the use of alternative sources of fuel or electricity for heating, cooling, or cooking can cause CO to build up in a home, garage, or camper and poison the people and animals inside.
(CDC, 9/2/17)
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MEETING
Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria.
The first day of the public meeting, September 13, 2017, will be dedicated to the topic of Stewardship of Antibiotic Prescription and Use. The three working groups on Incentives for Diagnostics, Therapeutics/Anti-Infectives, and Vaccines, will report their final findings to the full Advisory Council for deliberation on the second day of the public meeting, September 14, 2017, and the Advisory Council will deliberate and vote on the final report presented.
(Department of Health & Human Services, 9/17)
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Homeland Security & Disaster Preparedness
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NEWS
Will Trump Direct FEMA to Fund Churches Hit by Hurricanes?
According to the stated policy of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, houses of worship cannot receive funding from the agency's public-assistance program, which provides money for emergency fire and rescue services, medical care, urgent debris removal, and critical utility repairs in the wake of disasters.
(The Atlantic, 9/11/17)
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NEWS
With Harvey And Now Irma, Federal Funds And FEMA Are Put To The Test.
The disaster relief bill given final approval by Congress on Friday can't come too soon for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Without a new injection of funds, officials said FEMA's cash box would be empty as early as this weekend, right around the time that Hurricane Irma is scheduled to slam into southern Florida, while southeast Texas and Louisiana are still drying out from Hurricane Harvey.
(NPR, 9/8/17)
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Radiological & Nuclear Disaster Preparedness
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PRESS RELEASE
NRC Preparing for Hurricane Irma.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has dispatched additional inspectors to the Turkey Point nuclear plant south of Miami and the St. Lucie nuclear plant on the east coast of Florida in advance of Hurricane Irma.
(NRC, 9/8/17)
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Science & Technology Policy
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NEWS
Congress Rejects Trump Proposals to Cut Health Research Funds.
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a bipartisan bill last week providing $36.1 billion for the health institutes in the fiscal year that starts next month. Senator Roy Blunt, Republican of Missouri and the chairman of the subcommittee responsible for health spending, said it was the third consecutive year in which he had secured a $2 billion increase for the agency, amounting to an increase of about 20 percent over three years.
(New York Times, 9/11/17)
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NEWS
Federal Chemical Risk Database Targeted by Congress.
When floodwaters come up, seeping into industrial areas that turn out fuel or chemicals, public health officials look to a federal database known simply as IRIS. Short for Integrated Risk Information System, the Environmental Protection Agency maintains the program to assess the health risks of various chemical compounds and as a go-to encyclopedia for state agencies on their impacts on human populations.
(Houston Chronicle, 9/7/17)
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