Infection Control
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Emerging Coronavirus Variants Are Highly Transmissible
More transmissible variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus are emerging globally and had been detected in three U.S. states as this report was filed. The mutated strains do not appear more virulent, but the enhanced transmission narrows the margin of error for breaks in personal protective equipment and other exposures as healthcare workers begin to take their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccines.
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CDC Advisors Draw Fire for COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
A CDC advisory panel has designated frontline essential workers and those age 75 years and older as the next priority groups to receive COVID-19 vaccine in the United States. The decision came amid considerable criticism and controversy at an emergency meeting on Dec. 20, 2020, with the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voting to continue the rationing process while vaccine stocks are insufficient.
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Rare, but Real: Anaphylaxis After COVID-19 Vaccination
As COVID-19 vaccinations roll out, a handful of people have experienced anaphylactic allergic reactions after receiving the Pfizer vaccine. These cases appear to be extremely rare, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises several measures to recognize and respond to severe allergic reactions to the vaccine.
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COVID-19 Vaccines for Healthcare Workers: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Healthcare workers — some of whom were initially hesitant to take one of the rapidly developed COVID-19 vaccines — are receiving immunization in an uneven national rollout marked by delays, chaos, and disruptions. Although there are reports of some healthcare workers declining vaccination, there is a growing perception that most healthcare workers will welcome immunization at a time when the pandemic is worsening.
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State Support Could Improve HPV Vaccination Rates
School-located vaccination programs, centralized reminder systems, and quality improvement visits with primary care physicians are three state-level outreach tactics lawmakers could use to improve HPV vaccination rates, according to the results of a recently published analysis.
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HHS Releases Latest Iteration of Antibiotic Resistance Action Plan
The new plan includes details about stronger and more evidence-based activities that have reduced antibiotic resistance, such as optimizing the use of antibiotics in human and animal health settings, that public health officials can lean on to drive progress.
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Hospital Newborn Center Goes Seven Years Without a Single CLABSI
The rate of central line infections was too high, so leaders assessed policies and procedures, including a special look at specifics like the cleaning products used for central lines. Administrators also educated nurses on how to establish, maintain, and remove central lines, while physicians revised the criteria for what patients could receive them. Staff observe stringent protocols for handwashing and sanitization.
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Will COVID-19 Establish an Animal Reservoir?
Minks farmed for their fur are acquiring SARS-CoV-2 from humans and transmitting it back, a classic scenario for a possible genetic mutation that could create a mismatch with some vaccines under development, the World Health Organization reported.
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COVID-19 Inflammatory Syndrome Emerging in Adults
Healthcare workers could be at risk of multisystem inflammatory syndrome linked to COVID-19, as the poorly understood condition first seen in children now is emerging in adults.
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15 Minutes of Infamy? CDC Warns of Cumulative Exposures
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention raised questions after the agency said clinically significant COVID-19 close-contact exposures could occur in intervals over time.