Updated National Health Care Preparedness and Response Capabilities Available for Pre-Decisional Review |
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HHS ASPR is currently updating the
Health Care Preparedness and Response Capabilities to reflect insights learned from recent disasters. The updated capabilities provide more specificity around what the entire health care delivery system can do to save lives and continue to function in advance of, during, and after a response. The updated capabilities also prioritize equity in all activities, with the goal of ensuring access to consistent levels of care in underserved and historically marginalized communities and at-risk individuals.
Over the last year, HHS ASPR conducted targeted engagement with those working at all levels of health care preparedness and response, from frontline providers to state and federal operations staff, to gather input for the updated capabilities. We are now sharing the draft, for a pre-decisional review, with a wide range of partners. We will accept comments until Friday, June 9 via the Online Comment Matrix.
You can access the pre-decisional draft for your review here, as well as the
frequently asked questions (FAQs) that provide additional background and clarifications. There is one final upcoming informational session listed below with registration links. We strongly encourage those reviewing the updated capabilities to read the FAQs and attend this informational session if they have not yet attended one.
Informational session:
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Register for Tuesday, May 23, 1:30 – 2:00 PM ET
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HOSPITAL PREPAREDNESS PROGRAM COOPERATIVE
AGREEMENT RECIPIENTS |
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Medical Response Surge Exercise (MRSE) Office Hours |
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The MRSE Support Team will host a series of office hours to discuss the MRSE through June 2023. These sessions are intended to provide support and discuss any questions about planning and executing the MRSE. The next MRSE Office Hours session is scheduled for Thursday, May 25 from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET. Note that registration is required. After registering here,
you will receive an email with a link to join the meeting and a Zoom invite to add to your calendar.
Please submit questions to the MRSE mailbox prior to the scheduled office hours session to assist the MRSE Support Team in tailoring the discussion to certain topics of interest. You may also request a one-on-one session with the MRSE Support Team by emailing the MRSE mailbox. |
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Upcoming Recipient Meetings |
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Meeting Name |
Recipient Group |
Event Details |
ASPR Health Care Readiness Cooperative
Agreements Quarterly All-Recipients Webinar |
All Recipients |
Wednesday, May 24
2:00 - 3:00 PM ET
Registration Information
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Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) - Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) Joint Business Meeting |
HPP and PHEP Recipients |
Wednesday, July 26
1:00 - 4:00 PM ET
Registration Information Forthcoming | Note: ASPR will update this table in each issue of the Bulletin as additional meetings are scheduled. Recordings and transcripts from previous webinars can be accessed on the ASPR Health Care Readiness Programs Webinars
webpage. |
COVID-19 Clinical Rounds: A Peer-to-Peer Virtual Community of Practice |
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COVID-19 Clinical Rounds are resource webinars intended for consultant physicians involved in critical care practice, fellows, residents, pharmacists, nursing staff, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, respiratory therapists, and allied health staff. All previous recordings can be found on the HHS ASPR Project ECHO COVID-19 Clinical Rounds website. |
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First Responder Resiliency TeleECHO Program |
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The First Responder Resiliency ECHO Program is aimed at increasing self-care and resiliency in crisis. This interdisciplinary team, led by a group of subject matter experts including Dr. George Everly, an internationally acknowledged disaster psychologist, and Dr. Jeff Katzman, a leading expert in trauma and resiliency, has expertise in a variety of specialties including: critical incidence trauma care, psychiatry, emergency and pre-hospital medicine, law enforcement mental health, and pastoral care. These sessions are held every other Monday from 4:00 - 5:00 PM ET. |
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Upcoming Trainings and Webinars |
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Host |
Event |
Event Details |
National Institutes of Health (NIH) |
National Advisory Council on Minority Health and Health Disparities
Public Health Service Act section 464z-3(j), 42 U.S.C. 285t(j), gives the Secretary of Health and Human Services the authority to establish an advisory council to provide advice regarding the Institute's research and research training activities with respect to minority health issues. The National Advisory Council on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NACMHD) advises the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the NIH Director, and the NIMHD Director on matters related to the NIMHD’s mission. |
Tuesday, May 23
8:30 AM ET
Connection Information |
Safeside Prevention |
Safeside Prevention for Suicide Prevention in Rural Communities
The UR Medicine Recovery Center of Excellence,
with funding from HRSA partnered with SafeSide Prevention to provide a workshop focused on suicide prevention training for service providers in rural communities. Learn a systematic framework for suicide prevention that can be applied in rural communities, with a special focus on youth, substance use, and Indigenous or Tribal communities. |
Tuesday, May 23
12:30 - 3:30 PM ET
Connection Information |
National Center for Farmworker Health, Inc. |
Ag Worker Health 102: Supporting Agricultural Worker Health
This webinar will cover the most relevant current agricultural worker policy issues and explore effective service delivery models. Presenters will also highlight training and technical assistance opportunities and share resources and promising practices to support health center staff in the implementation of service delivery changes and adaptations when serving the agricultural worker population. |
Tuesday, May 23
2:00 - 3:00 PM ET
Registration Information |
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) |
FDA Drug Topics: How to Avoid Medication Errors with Pen Injectors
FDA's
Division of Drug Information in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) will be presenting a series of educational webinars targeting the needs of all health care professionals and students, including physicians, physician assistants, nurses, pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians. This webinar will provide participants with important safety information to help patients and caregivers avoid medication errors with these products, whether intended for use institutionally or at home. The presenters will share information derived from a review of medication error reports submitted by practitioners and patients to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices National Medication Errors Reporting Program (ISMP
MERP). |
Tuesday, May 23
2:15 PM ET
Registration Information |
American College of Emergency Physicians |
Pediatric Readiness Quality Improvement Collaborative: A Value Proposition for Optimizing Pediatric Emergency Care Informational Webinar
This webinar provides a framework for understanding how participation in the PRQC can facilitate integration of evidence-based practice and bring value and equity to the emergency care of all children, and in all ED settings. |
Tuesday, May 23
3:00 - 4:00 PM ET
Registration Information |
National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) |
Sharing Session on Workforce Development
A panel of health directors will discuss some of the challenges that local health departments have been experiencing in employee retention and workforce burnout, and how the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these issues. This sharing session will provide both speakers and participants with an opportunity to share experiences and discuss ways to re-engage staff in their work, especially at the local level. |
Tuesday, May 23
3:00 - 4:00 PM ET
Registration Information |
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) |
ASTHO 2023 Public Health TechXpo and Futures Forum
The 2023 Public Health TechXpo and Futures Forum, presented by ASTHO in Chicago, is an annual convening of public health leaders and experts across the technology, professional services, financial, workforce, and related sectors. |
Tuesday, May 23 - Friday, May 25
Registration Information |
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) |
CISA's National Risk Management Center (NMRC)'s Virtual Industry Day 2023
CISA's Office of the Chief Acquisition Executive (OCAE) will hold a NRMC Virtual Industry Day. CISA’s Industry Day Events will provide insight into CISA’s current and future challenges. These events will be an important tool to stimulate dialogue in cybersecurity and critical infrastructure-related topics impacting CISA. During this event, CISA will discuss the Divisions’ capabilities and will not discuss specific procurement actions or details. The NRMC is working with public and private stakeholders to identify, analyze, prioritize, and manage these risks to help advance the Nation’s collective defense. |
Wednesday, May 24
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM ET
Registration Information |
Emergency Response Research (EPA) |
Analysis for Coastal Operational Resiliency (AnCOR)-Wide Area Demonstration
This webinar will provide an overview of a recent field-scale demonstration of environmental remediation capabilities for outdoor urban areas following a wide-area biological incident. The Wide Area Demonstration (WAD) is part of a larger collaborative effort, the Analysis for Coastal Operational Resiliency (AnCOR), among the EPA DHS Science and Technology Directorate, and the U.S. Coast Guard |
Wednesday, May 24
2:00 - 3:30 PM ET
Registration Information |
NIH |
Unleashing the Power of Prevention to Enhance Well Being Across the Lifespan
This NIH “Unleashing the Power of Prevention to Enhance Well-Being Across the Lifespan” webinar will trace the evolution of prevention science and share the latest findings from longitudinal intervention studies based on the Social Development Strategy. Examples include Guiding Good Choices, a program for parents and caregivers to help them support positive development and the prevention of behavioral problems in their children, and Communities That Care, a prevention system. This webinar will also describe what is needed to increase the equitable reach and impact of effective health promotion and prevention approaches. |
Thursday, May 25
12:00 - 1:15 PM ET
Connection Information | |
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ASPR TRACIE Spotlight: Utility Failures Topic Collection (Updated) |
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The resources in this updated Topic Collection include lessons learned from recent disasters, case studies, and toolkits designed to help healthcare planners prepare to respond and recover from post-disaster utility failures. |
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HHS Provides Resources on Ways Communities Can Stay Protected from Mpox in Advance of Summer Months |
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The mpox outbreak continues to be a public health priority for HHS and the Biden-Harris Administration. For months, both have maintained outreach and education efforts and increased outreach in late winter 2022 and early Spring 2023 to motivate actions to prevent expansion of the current outbreak as festival and event seasons approach. Collectively, the Administration’s efforts aim to expand vaccination for individuals at risk
and make testing more convenient for health care providers and patients across the country.
The Biden-Harris Administration remains committed to working with urgency to detect more cases, protect those at risk, and respond rapidly to new cases. As we head into the summer months, HHS has prepared a fact sheet with resources and information. |
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Issues Health Advisory on Outbreak of Suspected Fungal Meningitis |
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On May 17, CDC issued a health advisory
about an outbreak of suspected fungal meningitis among U.S. patients hospitalized in Texas after undergoing cosmetic procedures under epidural anesthesia in Matamoros, Mexico. It is currently unknown which organism(s) is causing the outbreak. As of May 12, five patients have been diagnosed with suspected fungal meningitis; all have been hospitalized, and one has died. All these patients received epidural anesthesia and underwent cosmetic procedures. Affected patients underwent procedures in at least two clinics in Matamoros, Mexico, including River Side Surgical Center and Clinica K-3. Other facilities might be identified through further investigation.
Healthcare providers and the public should be aware that patients who underwent medical or surgical procedures under epidural anesthesia in Matamoros, Mexico, and who have developed signs or symptoms of possible meningitis, such as fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, photophobia, and altered mental status should promptly seek evaluation by a healthcare provider and convey that medical history.
Additional CDC Resources
Information about meningitis:
Health information for travelers: |
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Five Reasons You Should Take the Course "Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) Roles and Responsibilities, Considerations for Special Pathogens Activation" |
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HICS is an incident management system that any hospital can use to manage threats, planned events, or emergency incidents, including special pathogen activations.
NETEC developed a course on HICS for all-hazard and special pathogens activations to help hospitals and health care agencies improve their emergency management planning, response, and recovery capabilities for planned and unplanned events, including special pathogen events. Read five reasons why you should take this course. |
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HHS Announces Over $65 Million to Address the Maternal Health Crisis and Invest in New Approaches to Care |
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HHS, through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), awarded more than $65 million to 35 HRSA-funded health centers to address the maternal mortality crisis. Our country’s maternal mortality rate is the highest of any developed nation in the world and more than double the rate of peer countries. HRSA’s funds will be used to implement innovative approaches to improve maternal health outcomes and reduce disparities for patients at highest risk. Black and American Indian/Alaska Native women are two to three times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than White women.
Read the full press release from HHS. |
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CDC Issues Health Update on Potential Risk for New Mpox Cases |
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On May 15, CDC issued a health update on potential risk for new mpox cases. In the United States, cases of mpox have declined since peaking in August 2022. CDC continues to receive reports of cases that reflect ongoing community transmission in the United States and internationally.
This week, CDC and local partners are investigating a cluster of mpox cases in the Chicago area. From April 17 to May 5, 12 confirmed and one probable case of mpox were reported to the Chicago Department of Public Health. All cases were among symptomatic men. No patients have been hospitalized. Nine (69%) of 13 cases were among men who had received two JYNNEOS vaccine doses. Although vaccine-induced immunity
is not complete, vaccination continues to be one of the most important prevention measures. CDC expects new cases among previously vaccinated people to occur, but people who have completed their two-dose JYNNEOS vaccine series may experience less severe symptoms than those who have not.
The upcoming summer season could lead to a resurgence of mpox as people gather for festivals and other events. The Health Alert Network health update provides resources on clinical evaluation, treatment, vaccination, and testing.
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Pop Culture Broadcasts Fear and Stigma of Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers |
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On the latest episode of Transmission Interrupted, NETEC hosts Lauren Sauer and Rachel Lookadoo talked to Dr. William Fischer about his experience caring for patients with Ebola Virus Disease, Sudan ebolavirus disease, and Lassa fever. They discussed how the fear and stigma around Viral Hemorrhagic Fever has been amplified by pop culture depictions of these pathogens. If we can dispel those myths, we can empower communities and health care providers, improve patient outcomes, and reduce mortality.
Read the full article from NETEC. |
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Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Announces Additional $200 Million in Funding for 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline |
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SAMHSA announced more than $200 million in new funding for states, territories, and tribes to build local capacity for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and related crisis services.
“Thanks to President Biden, we are finally and seriously saying to Americans struggling with their mental health: Support is Here!” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “Support is here in 988, the three-digit Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, and this new funding reflects our commitment to strengthening the crisis care system across our country so Americans can get the care they need.”
Read the full statement from SAMHSA.
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HHS and the Department of Education (ED) Take Action to Help Schools Deliver Critical Health Care Services to Millions of Students |
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HHS and ED are taking bold action to make it easier for schools to provide critical health care services, especially mental health services, for millions of students across the nation. These three significant actions support President Biden’s comprehensive national mental health strategy and deliver on his commitment to tackle the nation’s mental health crisis as part of his Unity Agenda. Through a series of new announcements from ED and HHS, the Administration is continuing to take a whole-of-government approach to meet families where they are and ensure that children have access to the health care they need – especially mental health services.
Read the full statement here.
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Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Announces an Additional $160 Million to Build Climate and Disaster Resilience Nationwide, Including Over $50 Million for Tribal Nations |
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As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, FEMA is announcing $160 million in additional funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for states, local communities, tribes, territories and the District of Columbia to build climate and disaster resiliency, including the selection of more than 400 resilience projects and activities.
Read the full statement from FEMA. |
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Study Documents Regional Impact of Hospital Ransomware Attacks |
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Cyberattacks on health care delivery organizations are increasing in frequency and sophistication. Ransomware infections have been associated with significant operational disruption, but data describing regional associations of these cyberattacks with neighboring hospitals have not been previously reported, to our knowledge. This study found that hospitals adjacent to health care delivery organizations affected by ransomware attacks may see increases in patient census and may experience resource constraints affecting time-sensitive care for conditions such as acute stroke. These findings suggest that targeted hospital cyberattacks may be associated with disruptions of health care delivery at nontargeted hospitals within a community and
should be considered a regional disaster.
Read the full study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
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American Medical Association (AMA): Long COVID, New Research, Common Symptoms, Long-Term Effects and Treatments |
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The latest AMA Update featured Akiko Iwasaki, PhD, who shares the latest science behind long COVID, including how many people are still suffering, most common symptoms and what we know about treatments like Paxlovid. She also shares guidance for physicians on diagnosing and treating post-COVID and new research to watch.
Watch the full update from AMA.
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Improving Access to Risk Appropriate Care and Maternal Health Outcomes through Provider Engagement |
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Maternal mortality rates are disproportionally high in the United States and still increasing. The majority of maternal deaths are preventable, indicating the need for system improvements. Equitable access to risk appropriate care improves maternal health outcomes and can be achieved by engaging providers in the process of developing and implementing risk appropriate care strategies at a state systems level. In this episode, two maternal healthcare veterans share approaches for bringing providers into the process, as well as how state health officials can promote risk appropriate care strategies and address challenges in achieving equitable risk appropriate care.
Read more from the Association of State and Tribal Health Officials (ASTHO).
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CDC Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics Offers Funding Opportunity |
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CDC’s Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics (CFA) recently announced a new
notice of funding opportunity (NOFO)
to establish an outbreak response network for disease forecasting to support decision- makers during public health emergencies. This NOFO is designed to enhance CDC’s ability to control epidemics and pandemics by developing a network of innovators to design, prototype, test, and scale up disease forecasting and data modeling tools and technologies that can be used during outbreaks of infectious diseases (both known and newly emerging) in the United States. The new cooperative agreement program will support advanced development of modeling, forecasting tools, and outbreak analytics through three critical operations: innovation, integration, and implementation.
Public, academic, and private sector partners are encouraged to apply by 11:59 ET on Friday, July 14
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CDC Releases New Study About Epidemiology of Salmonellosis Among Infants |
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A new CDC study highlights how infants continue to experience illness and death from nontyphoidal Salmonella infection (salmonellosis). The study uses data from 1968 to 2015 to describe characteristics of gastroenteritis, bacteremia, and meningitis caused by salmonellosis among infants in the United States.
Key Findings
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Serotype Heidelberg caused the most invasive infections among infants.
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Infants with meningitis were younger than those with bacteremia or gastroenteritis.
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Black and Asian infants have higher rates of invasive Salmonella infections than White infants.
Incidence of each syndrome has gradually increased since the mid-2000s. |
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FEMA Center for Domestic Preparedness Adds Additional Disaster Related Exposure Assessment and Monitoring (DREAM) Course in September |
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FEMA's Center for Domestic Preparedness has added an additional DREAM course to be held September 24 through September 29.
The DREAM training course is designed to provide knowledge and experience in assessing, monitoring, and tracking health effects to emergency responders and community members before, during, and after an emergency or disaster. This includes exposures to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) threats and other hazards. The course provides training on disaster epidemiologic tools developed by the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The tools include Emergency Responder Health Monitoring and Surveillance (ERHMS)™, Assessment of Chemical Exposure (ACE), and Epi CASE (Case Assessment Symptom and Exposure).
The training course will take place in Anniston, Ala. FEMA covers state and local participants’ travel expenses, lodging, and food. Interested participants must first register for a FEMA student identification number or SID to apply for the DREAM training course. For additional information, visit FEMA’s Disaster Related Exposure Assessment and Monitoring - Center for Domestic Preparedness webpage. |
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Additional Guidance, Reports, and Resources |
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CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) |
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Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, May 19
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Prevalence of Disability by Occupation Group – United States, 2016–2020
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The CDC Domestic Mpox Response — United States, 2022–2023
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Estimated Effectiveness of JYNNEOS Vaccine in Preventing Mpox: A Multijurisdictional Case-Control Study — United States, August 19, 2022–March 31, 2023
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Effectiveness of JYNNEOS Vaccine Against Diagnosed Mpox Infection — New York, 2022
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Notes from the Field: Legionnaires Disease in a U.S. Traveler After Staying in a Private Vacation Rental House in the U.S. Virgin Islands — United States, February 2022
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QuickStats: Percentage of Children and Adolescents Aged 5–17 Years Who Received Free or Reduced-Cost Meals at School During the Previous 12 Months, by Race and Hispanic Ethnicity and Family Income — National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2021
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CDC Mpox Guidance and Resources |
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We Want to Hear from You!
ASPR wants to hear how your organization and/or sub-recipients are making an impact in your communities. We will use your stories to demonstrate the importance of investing in emergency preparedness and response in some of our policy and budgetary documents.
Share your organization's experience in emergency preparedness, response, or recovery by answering a few questions on our Story From the Field Submission Form.
Our team will contact you for more information, as needed, and you may see your story published on the Health Care Readiness in Action: Stories from the Field webpage. Thank you in advance for sharing! |
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Note: ASPR provides the above sources of information for the convenience of the ASPR Health Care Readiness community and is not responsible for the availability or content of the information or tools provided, nor does ASPR endorse, warrant or guarantee the products, services or information described or offered. It is the responsibility of the user to determine the usefulness and applicability of the information provided. |
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