COCA Email Updates: December 7, 2015 – December 21, 2015

Available for download: December 21, 2015, COCA Email Update

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COCA News and Announcements

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.

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

NEW: Sierra Leone Trial to Introduce a Vaccine against Ebola (STRIVE)
The College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS), University of Sierra Leone, the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS), and CDC are collaborating on a candidate Ebola vaccine trial in Sierra Leone.

updated: Case Counts

CDC News and Announcements

NEW: Public Health Grand Rounds: Strengthening a Culture of Laboratory Safety
Today, more than 2,000 laboratory scientists in more than 150 labs at CDC work with specimens to identify new health threats, stop outbreaks, and gain new knowledge. In this session of Public Health Grand Rounds, our panel discussed how standards of laboratory safety have improved over the years, what we’ve learned from past incidents, and how establishing safety protocols and training systems can lead to an overall culture of workplace safety, resulting in continued public trust in our science and recommendations.

CDC Science Clips: Volume 7, Issue: 49 – (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

Be Prepared to Stay Safe and Healthy in Winter  

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)

The MMWR series is CDC’s primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. To subscribe electronically, go to. Electronically Subscribe.

December 18, 2015 / Vol. 64 / No. 49 Download .pdf document of this issue

• Notes from the Field:   Injection Safety and Vaccine Administration Errors at an Employee Influenza Vaccination Clinic — New Jersey, 2015

Infectious, Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases

Seasonal Influenza

NEW: Evaluating and Managing Patients Exposed to Birds Infected with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) A (H5) Viruses
HPAI H5 outbreak responders are being asked to self-observe for signs and symptoms consistent with influenza on a daily basis and to call their health department if they develop compatible illness. Health departments may ask responders to seek care and/or testing for influenza A virus infection, including testing for H5 virus. This link summarizes important clinical information related to HPAI H5 and CDC’s recommendations for patient evaluation, treatment, and testing.

NEW: Study Looks at Flu Vaccine Dosing in Children
CDC recommends that children aged 6 months through 8 years of age get two doses of flu vaccine, at least one month apart, the first year they are vaccinated against flu. A study in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal looked at vaccination history and vaccine effectiveness data on patients 6 months to 8 years of age from clinics in five states that are part of the U.S. Flu VE Network during the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 to find trends.

Pregnant? Get a Flu Shot!

What You Should Know for the 2015-2016 Influenza Season

Information for Health Professionals

Weekly Flu View – November 21 (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.

Travel Safety

Current Travel Warnings - November 19 (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: Food Safe and Pregnant: Tips for the Holidays and Beyond - (CDC)
The holiday season is filled with parties, family gatherings, and lots of food. While everyone wants to keep food safe, it is especially important for pregnant women to do so. Here are some tips to share with pregnant women this holiday season.

NEW: Chariot Guiding Sheath by Boston Scientific: Recall - Risk of Shaft Separation - (FDA)
Boston Scientific has voluntarily recalled the Chariot Guiding Sheath globally. The recall affects all UPNs of the Chariot Guiding Sheaths. The recall was initiated on November 19, 2015, due to the risk of shaft separation.

NEW: Baclofen Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient from Taizhou Xinyou Pharmaceutical and Chemical: FDA Statement - FDA Warns of Potential Contamination - (FDA)
FDA is alerting drug compounders that certain lots of baclofen active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufactured by Taizhou Xinyou Pharmaceutical & Chemical Co., Limited (Taizhou) Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, China, may be at risk for contamination with particulates and should not be used to compound sterile injectable drugs.

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.