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The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania

April 26, 2024

Volume 12, Issue 6

 

4 Lessons from our National Cybersecurity Plan

The cyber stakes for health care can be a little startling when you think about the big picture. Every day, we better understand the threats our hospitals and other public health organizations face as we transition to a more digitally focused health care system.

 

 

Read HAP's new blog post written by Jason Tomashunas, MS, CHEP, manager, emergency management.

 

 

 

 

HAP’s EM team helps Pennsylvania's hospitals and health systems prepare for public health emergencies and serves as a national model for best practices.
HAP's Emergency Management Team

Emergency Preparedness Hot Topics

(New York Times) The debate over masks’ effectiveness in fighting the spread of the coronavirus intensified recently when a respected scientific nonprofit said its review of studies assessing measures to impede the spread of viral illnesses found it was “uncertain whether wearing masks or N95/P2 respirators helps to slow the spread of respiratory viruses.” Now the organization says the way it summarized the review was unclear and imprecise, and the way some people interpreted it was wrong.

 

(CBS News) Vaccines that offer protection against both COVID-19 and influenza with a single shot will likely not be ready in time for this year, a top federal official said recently. However, tweaks to update the current COVID vaccines and drugs are expected soon. The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) top vaccines official, Dr. Peter Marks, had previously said that vaccines to cover both viruses could be deployed this year. But, at a webinar this week by the National Foundation for Infectious Disease, Marks acknowledged the effort had proved "too heavy a lift" for this fall, ending hopes of a combined option for the 2023 fall and winter respiratory illness season.

 

(Scientific American) Minks in Spain, seals in Scotland, sea lions and dolphins in South America: a number of mammal species have recently been found to be infected with H5N1, a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza. Avian flu is not new; epidemiologists have been studying it for decades. But the detection of the virus in mammals has many concerned about the potential that it could spill over to humans and cause a larger outbreak. H5N1 has infected humans before, although human-to-human transmission has rarely been observed. And, while the World Health Organization reports that the mortality rate of avian flu in humans is around 56 percent, many experts believe it’s likely to be much lower if the virus becomes more transmissible. Yet even a virus that causes mild or moderate illness in many people can have a serious toll, as we’ve seen with the COVID pandemic. So efforts are underway to develop vaccines to protect against such a form of bird flu.

 

(Associated Press) California’s coronavirus emergency officially ended recently, nearly three years after Governor Gavin Newsom issued the nation’s first statewide stay-at-home order and just days after the state reached the grim milestone of 100,000 deaths related to the virus. As California’s emergency winds down, such declarations continue in just five other states—including Texas and Illinois—signaling an end to the expanded legal powers of governors to suspend laws in response to the once mysterious disease. President Joe Biden announced last month the federal government will end its own version May 11.

National Preparedness News and Updates

COVID-19

(CIDRAP) Swiss researchers find that the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant is much less likely to lead to long COVID than the original, wild-type virus. The research, to be presented at next month's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases in Copenhagen, Denmark, and not peer-reviewed, found that health care workers first infected with Omicron BA.1 were no more likely to have long COVID than their never-infected peers.

 

(Nature) Trial data show that an antiviral called ensitrelvir shortens symptoms of mild to moderate COVID-19 by about a day—and is the first drug to make a statistically significant cut in the number of days people test positive for SARS-CoV-2. The drug’s manufacturer, Shionogi in Osaka, Japan, says the data also show that ensitrelvir has the potential to prevent long COVID. But scientists are skeptical about that claim and critical of the design of the clinical trial. The research was presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Seattle, Washington, during February, and has not yet been peer reviewed.

 

(CBS News) Local researchers have some promising news about a new drug that could combat COVID-19 and other inflammatory diseases, and it's given through the nose. Current monoclonal antibody treatments which are given by IV and target the spike protein of the coronavirus are no longer effective against circulating variants. But researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital have tested a different type of monoclonal antibody that is designed to stimulate anti-inflammatory cells in the body and could hopefully work against any coronavirus variant. They found that when the drug was given intranasally to 39 patients with COVID-19 daily for 10 days, it dampened the inflammatory response to the virus and decreased lung inflammation without significant side effects.

 

(The Guardian) Vulnerable people in the UK are to be offered another COVID booster jab this spring, public health bodies have said, as the virus continues to circulate at high levels. According to the latest data from Office for National Statistics, about one in 45 people in England, Scotland, and Wales had COVID during the week ending February 21, with the figure at one in 90 for Northern Ireland. In England, infection levels are rising, including in people aged 70 and over.

 

(Axios) Lots of parents say they misled others when their kids tested positive for COVID-19, according to a nationwide report coauthored by University of Utah researchers. Twenty-four percent of parents surveyed during December 2021 admitted to not disclosing they knew or suspected their kids had COVID to people who were exposed, per the study, which appeared this week at JAMA Network Open. The Number 1 reason parents gave for misleading others was "wanting to exercise personal freedom as a parent."

 

(Nature) The present study aimed to (1) assess and validate the stability during a specific time period of COVID-19 detection in humans’ armpit sweat by trained dogs thanks to a double-blind laboratory test–retest design, and (2) assess this ability when sniffing people directly. Dogs were not trained to discriminate against other infections. For all dogs (n. 3), the laboratory test on 360 samples yielded 93 percent sensitivity and 99 percent specificity, an 88 percent agreement with the Rt-PCR, and a moderate to strong test–retest correlation. When sniffing people directly (n. 97), dogs’ (n. 5) overall sensitivity (89%) and specificity (95%) were significantly above chance level. An almost perfect agreement with RAD results was found (kappa 0.83, SE 0.05, p = 0.001).

 

(Reuters) There is not sufficient evidence to recommend more than one COVID-19 booster shot a year for older people and those with weakened immune systems, an expert advisory group to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said recently. The COVID-19 working group of the CDC's Advisory Committee For Immunization Practices (ACIP) supported an annual booster campaign, likely during the fall, especially for populations considered at high risk.

 

(Wall Street Journal) Millions of dollars in COVID-relief funds sent to school districts, colleges, and state governments for education have been spent on questionable or potentially fraudulent expenses since 2020, federal and state auditors have found. The U.S. Education Department’s Office of Inspector General examined a sampling of the spending attached to more than $280 billion in federal pandemic funds, and identified faulty awards, double payments, and improper contracts, according to reports recently released by the office. The audits showed, for example, that state governments in Oklahoma and Michigan together paid out more than $36 million to schools and programs in ways that were found to be questionable.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 Data Tracking and Resources

 

  • : Monitor the rise and fall of COVID-19 cases, deaths, testing volume and percent positivity, nationally and by state.
  • : Use the interactive tool to explore observed and forecasted weekly reported COVID-19 cases and cumulative and incident COVID-19 deaths in the United States.
  • in COVID-19 Cases and Deaths in the U.S. Reported to the CDC by State or Territory; Maps, charts, and data provided by CDC, updates Weekly

Resources

offers a searchable, open-source database of COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 publications, clinical trials, protocols, datasets, and epidemiology data. This resource can be found on .

The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania also has a .

Mpox

(The Hill) A disproportionately low number of Black individuals received the mpox vaccine during the public health emergency for the virus, which lasted for several months before ending earlier this year. The Human Rights Campaign released a report recently that found Black people made up one-third of all new mpox cases from May, when the first cases of the outbreak were found, until the end of January, when the public health emergency ended. But they only made up one-tenth of all vaccine recipients for the virus during that time.

Additional Mpox Resources

  • The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the availability of a draft guidance titled, “” The draft guidance provides the FDA’s current thinking regarding nonclinical, virology, and clinical considerations for mpox drug development programs.
    • The purpose of this guidance is to assist sponsors in the clinical development of drugs for the treatment of mpox. Comments and suggestions regarding this draft guidance within 60 days of publication in the Federal Register of the notice announcing the availability of the draft guidance.

INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Emerging Disease

(CIDRAP) The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) sounded another alarm about chikungunya activity in South America, with the mosquito-borne virus expanding to new areas with an unusually high number of cases and deaths. In an epidemiologic alert and a new risk assessment, PAHO said the outbreak is complicated by COVID-related supply problems depleting stocks needed to battle mosquitoes that spread the virus and by overstretched health care systems that are juggling other health threats, such as COVID-19 and mpox.

 

(AFP/VOA) Two more people in Equatorial Guinea have died of Marburg hemorrhagic fever, a cousin of the Ebola virus, bringing the toll of fatalities to 11, the authorities say. "Two days ago, the monitoring system recorded eight notifications, including the deaths of two people with symptoms of the disease," Health Minister Mitoha Ondo'o Ayekaba said in a statement issued late Tuesday. Work is underway "to strengthen assessment of the spread of the epidemic," said the statement, read on national television.

 

(Nature) Bars in Belgium could be among the healthiest places to have a drink, come July. That’s when a new law goes into effect, requiring public venues to meet air-quality targets and display real-time measurements of carbon dioxide concentrations—a proxy for how much clean air is piped in. Consumers in Belgium will get even more information during 2025, when gyms, restaurants, and indoor workspaces must all show air-quality ratings given through a certification system. In the event of a future pandemic, Belgium’s rating system could determine whether or not a venue is closed. The law, enacted during July 2022, is the boldest in a string of moves that countries have taken in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic to make indoor spaces safer in the face of infectious diseases caused by viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and influenza.

 

(Reuters) France has reported an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu among red foxes northeast of Paris, the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) said recently, as the spread of the virus to mammals raised global concerns. After three foxes were found dead in a nature reserve in Meaux near where gulls had died, one of the foxes was collected and tested, WOAH said in a report, citing French authorities.

 

(Reuters) The viruses that infected two people in Cambodia with H5N1 avian influenza have been identified as an endemic clade of bird flu circulating in the country, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said. The cases reported had raised concerns they were caused by a new strain of H5N1, clade 2.3.4.4b, which emerged during 2020 and has caused record numbers of deaths among wild birds and domestic poultry during recent months. But work so far suggests this is not the case. Preliminary genetic sequencing carried out in Cambodia led its health ministry to identify the viruses as H5 clade 2.3.2.1c, which has circulated in Cambodia among birds and poultry for many years and has sporadically caused infections in people, the CDC said in a recent statement.

 

(The Hill) The Biden administration is considering the use of vaccines in poultry as one option to address a bird flu epidemic that has killed millions of chickens and contributed to high egg prices. “There are a range of options the United States regularly considers when there is any outbreak that could affect the security and safety of the United States’ food supply,” a White House National Security Council spokesperson said in a statement. “Right now, we are focused on promoting and enhancing high-impact biosafety practices and procedures.”

 

(Sudan Tribune) Sudan recently declared a fever epidemic in Khartoum state, after confirming 533 cases of the disease, with another 928 suspected cases being monitored. Cases of mosquito-borne illness occur every year in Darfur, Kordofan regions and some areas of central Sudan due to the fragile health system in the country. On February 15, 2023, the minister of health for the first time announced the existence of dengue fever in Khartoum state and announced that 169 suspected cases had been recorded, including 110 confirmed cases.

 

(Bloomberg) Moderna Inc. is eyeing possible human testing of shots to fight mpox and bird flu this year, as the COVID-19 vaccine maker expands into more public health immunizations. The company is exploring messenger RNA vaccines for a number of such pathogens, most of them in the early stages of development, President Stephen Hoge said recently in an interview. Moderna expects to advance its vaccines for mpox and bird flu to clinical trials after completing initial work on them, he said. A shot against mpox would be valuable in case outbreaks reemerge, and the company sees bird flu as a “clear threat,” Hoge said. Moderna needs input from regulators and public health officials about how best to advance the vaccines as the need for them might not be immediate, he said.

 

(The Washington Post) About 20,000 people may have been exposed to measles during a 24-hour spiritual revival that spanned nearly two weeks at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky, state health officials warned after an unvaccinated worshiper was found to have the highly contagious virus that causes the illness. Thousands traveled across city, county, and state lines to participate in what was called “the Asbury Revival,” which stretched from February 8 to February 19 at the university’s chapel. Videos shared on TikTok and Instagram showed people praying, holding hands, and crying to worship music. The gathering drew national attention to the small Christian school, located about 30 minutes from Lexington.

CYBERSECURITY AND PHYSICAL SECURITY

Cybersecurity

(CISA) The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) to provide network defenders tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP) and indicators of compromise (IOC) associated with Royal ransomware variants. FBI investigations identified these TTPs and IOCs as recently as January 2023. Royal ransomware attacks have spread across numerous including, but not limited to, manufacturing, communications, healthcare and public healthcare (HPH), and education. CISA encourages network defenders to review the CSA and to apply the included mitigations. See for additional guidance on ransomware protection, detection, and response.

 

(CISA) CISA released , a free tool to help the cybersecurity community map threat actor behavior to the MITRE ATT&CK framework. Created in partnership with the Homeland Security Systems Engineering and Development Institute™ and MITRE, Decider helps make mapping quick and accurate through guided questions, a powerful search and filter function, and a cart functionality that lets users export results to commonly used formats. Network defenders, analysts, and researchers can see CISA’s , , and to get started with Decider. CISA encourages the community to use the tool in conjunction with the recently updated .

 

(CISA) Cisco has released a security advisory for vulnerabilities affecting the 6800, 7800, 7900, and 8800 Series of Cisco IP Phones. A remote attacker could exploit some of these vulnerabilities to take control of an affected system. For updates addressing lower severity vulnerabilities, see the page. CISA encourages users and administrators to review the following advisory and apply the necessary updates.

 

(Bleeping Computer) Cisco has addressed a critical security vulnerability found in the Web UI of multiple IP Phone models that unauthenticated and remote attackers can exploit in remote code execution (RCE) attacks. The RCE flaw (CVE-2023-20078) allows attackers to inject arbitrary commands that will be executed with root privileges following successful exploitation. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system of an affected device. The list of affected devices includes Cisco IP Phone 6800, 7800, and 8800 series devices with Multiplatform Firmware (vulnerable to both RCE and DoS attacks), and the Unified IP Conference Phone 8831, Unified IP Conference Phone 8831 with Multiplatform Firmware, and Unified IP Phone 7900 Series (only vulnerable to DoS attacks). While Cisco released security updates to address the CVE-2023-20078 RCE vulnerability, the company said it would not release patches to fix the CVE-2023-20079 DoS flaw. Cisco also announced during December that it (CVE-2022-20968) with public exploit code found in the Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP) processing feature of Cisco IP Phones running 7800 and 8800 Series firmware.

 

(CIS) Multiple vulnerabilities have been discovered in Aruba Products, the most severe of which could allow for arbitrary code execution.

 

  • Aruba Mobility Conductor is an advanced WLAN deployed as a virtual machine (VM) or installed on an x86-based hardware appliance.
  • Aruba Mobility Controller is a WLAN hardware controller in a virtualized environment
  • WLAN Gateways and SD-WAN Gateways managed by Aruba Central

 

Successful exploitation of the most severe of these vulnerabilities could allow for arbitrary code execution in the context of the affected service account. Depending on the privileges associated with the service account, an attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Service accounts that are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than those who operate with administrative user rights.

 

(CNBC) The White House released its long-awaited National Cyber Strategy providing a road map for how the Biden Administration aims to defend the U.S. from a rapidly growing number of online threats. The plan shifts the burden of cybersecurity from individuals and small businesses to organizations that are best equipped to mitigate cyber risks. The White House is proposing that legislation establish liability for software makers which fail to take reasonable precautions to secure their products and services. The administration wants to see legislation that establishes liability for software makers that fail to take reasonable precautions to secure their products and services. The Biden Administration said it will explore a national insurance backstop in the case of a catastrophic cyberattack to supplement the existing cyber insurance market. It will also focus on defending critical infrastructure by expanding minimum security requirements in certain sectors and streamlining regulations, and will treat ransomware as a national security threat, not just a criminal issue. The framework calls for a focus on international partnerships to work with like-minded nations to fight threats and create secure global supply chains for communications technology and other kinds of tools and information.

Latest CISA Vulnerability Summary The latest provides a summary of new vulnerabilities that have been recorded by the NIST National Vulnerability Database (NVD) in the past week. In some cases, the vulnerabilities in the bulletin may not yet have assigned CVSS scores. Please visit NVD for updated vulnerability entries, which include CVSS scores once they are available.

Receive HPH Sector Cyber Notifications directly by subscribing to the HPH Sector bulletins. HPH Sector bulletins inform stakeholders about the most significant issues facing the sector including cybersecurity, medical supply chains, COVID-19, and more. If you are interested in receiving cyber notifications or other HPH Sector bulletins, visit the .

HEALTH SYSTEM PREPAREDNESS

Health Care

(STAT) The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering whether it needs to revamp guidance about how FDA-regulated manufacturers should deal with online misinformation about their products as the agency continues to contend with a deadly tide of falsehoods spreading on social media, Commissioner Robert Califf told STAT.

 

(CBS News) About one-quarter of Americans say they trust the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) health recommendations "not very much" or "not at all," according to a new survey co-authored by the agency's researchers, four times worse than for doctors and nurses. Of those surveyed, 37 percent said they have a "great deal" of trust in the CDC's health recommendations, and an additional 37 percent "somewhat" trust the agency. Sixteen percent have "not very much" trust in the CDC's recommendations, and 10 percent trust them "not at all." The findings, published in the journal Health Affairs, are from a survey conducted during February 2022 examining the nation's trust in public health agencies in the wake of COVID-19.

 

(Associated Press) Federal health advisers narrowly backed an experimental vaccine from Pfizer that could soon become the first shot to protect older adults against the respiratory illness known as RSV. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel voted 7–4 on two separate questions of whether Pfizer’s data showed the vaccine was safe and effective against the respiratory virus for people 60 and older. One panelist abstained from voting. The recommendation is non-binding and the FDA will make its own decision about the vaccine during the coming months.

 

(The BMJ) The COVID-19 pandemic showed that gross inequities in population morbidity, mortality, and access to medicines persist between nations, reflecting the colonial histories and current political status of international governance. These patterns of inequity emerge directly from colonialism’s racism, violence, resource extraction, and exploitation. It is therefore welcome that “equity” underpins the World Health Organization’s (WHO) call to action to its member states, as they negotiate a new international instrument to advance collective action for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response—the pandemic treaty. The treaty aims to create legally binding obligations between countries and to establish new global mechanisms for pandemics under the auspices of WHO. On February 1, 2023, WHO released a Zero Draft of the Pandemic Treaty for its member states’ consideration at the meetings of the intergovernmental negotiating body during February and April, 2023.

 

(STAT) The Biden administration is calling for a big boost for public health funding across the federal health department, but left out specific funding for COVID-19 activities. In its budget request to Congress, the White House asked for $20 billion over five years to support pandemic preparedness efforts at the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, and the Food and Drug Administration. The request aligns with the White House’s National Biodefense Plan.

Are you reading a forwarded copy of Keystone Digest?

 

Education

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Inclusive Participation in Clinical Research Workshop

Tuesday, March 28 at 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

 

This webinar will provide a general understanding of the Cannabis sativa L. plant and how products are generally produced utilizing cannabis raw materials. The presentation will explain why manufacturing controls surrounding cannabis and cannabis-derived products are an integral part of protecting the public health. The webinar will provide attendees with greater knowledge of the many products available on the marketplace, a discussion about potential benefits and risks, ways to report adverse events associated with these products to FDA, as well as suggestions about how to create a safe space to discuss patient use of these products.

 

National Institute on Minority Health and Health DisparitiesInclusive Participation in Clinical Research Workshop

Thursday, March 30 and Friday March 31

 

The purpose of this two-day workshop is to improve implementation of evidence-based best practices to increase inclusive participation in clinical research. Day 2 includes a special session featuring representatives from the different entities involved in supporting and conducting clinical research, such as academia, pharma, community-based organizations, and federal agencies.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Learning Connection Highlights Free CE Credit Opportunities helps public health and health care professionals stay informed about quality trainings from the CDC, other federal agencies, and federally funded partners. This month, CDC Learning Connection is offering the following CE credit opportunities:

for the CDC Learning Connection newsletter.

Training Opportunities—Ongoing

ASPR’s (CIP) offers a variety of newsletters to keep stakeholders informed during emergency response and steady state. The newsletters inform stakeholders of the most significant issues facing the Healthcare and Public Health Sector including cybersecurity, healthcare supply chains, COVID-19, and more. If you are interested in receiving CIP newsletters, visit the

The National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health (NCDMPH) is offering a . This is a modular, online course covering the 11 core competencies in disaster medicine and public health.

 

Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) Training for Health Care Workers: The Nationwide SAR Initiative's (NSI) online training module, , was developed to teach workers to recognize suspicious behavior associated with pre-incident terrorist activities. The training also discusses civil rights, privacy, and how and when to report suspicious activity. NSI also offers a two-page resource: . This training module could easily be added to any in-house training for new employees or yearly refresher training for established personnel.

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Clinical Outreach and Community Activity .

 

FEMA Emergency Management Institute

 

: This interactive, online training has broad utility for response and health care partners as well as those in existing leadership roles. The training takes about 90 minutes to complete.

 

: The Department of Health and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency have established TRAIN PA, the Pennsylvania affiliate for the Public Health Foundation’s learning management system and network. TRAIN PA is a free, collaborative resource for public health organizations and academic institutions across the state to assist in their educational and workforce development efforts.

 

for TRAIN PA allows access to thousands of trainings provided by public health agencies at all levels of government, schools of public health and other academic institutions, and other related organizations. If you already have a TRAIN account through TRAIN National, MRC TRAIN, or CDC TRAIN, you can log in to TRAIN PA using the username and password you use at these other sites.

 

Resources

 

. HAPevolve’s Portable Response Emergency Plan (PREP) is a web-based, mobile app created to house health care facilities’ emergency plans. HAPevolve, a subsidiary of HAP, is offering a temporarily modified COVID-19 version of PREP at no-cost to health care facilities for the global pandemic. COVID-19 PREP has a single-point access to up-to-date pandemic information and resources.

 

 

Items of Interest

 

: The health care supply chain is complex, supporting patient care on a daily basis by producing and delivering medications as well as products ranging from gloves and gowns, to diagnostics, to pharmaceuticals and biomedical equipment, to surgical supplies. During disasters or catastrophic events, the health care supply chain can experience distinct strains depending on the nature of the event and the impact on surrounding infrastructure. These resources provide an overview of the emergency planning and response considerations of health care supply chain owners, operators, and end users, as well as insights for health care coalitions working with health care supply chain partners on preparedness, response, and recovery.

 

This fact sheet addresses several frequently asked questions regarding the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) and disasters, and provides links to more resources. Note: This document is not intended to be used as regulatory guidance or in place of communications with or guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) who oversees EMTALA compliance.

 

Webinar: Dialysis During Disasters: The Kidney Community Emergency Response Program webinar recording, .

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s covers topics to take into consideration when preparing for a public health emergency:

(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Provides information about bites from mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas, which can spread pathogens and vector-borne disease, discusses what state and local public health agencies can do, and provides a video and sections about Overview, Problem, Infographic, What Can Be Done, and Issue Details.

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) provides crucial information to use during the first few moments and hours of a response to a potential bioterrorism incident. Designed for first responders, FBI agents who work with weapons of mass destruction, and any other person who might encounter biological agents, the app describes how to recognize signs and symptoms of disease associated with eight biological agents. The app also provides information to obtain expert help quickly with the contact details for the CDC's Emergency Operations Center, FBI field offices, and state public health laboratories.

 

, ASPR blog

 

, The California Emergency Medical Services Authority

 

The Pennsylvania Department of Health Bureau of Public Health Preparedness’

 

HHS emPOWER Map NEW GIS REST Service Link—Partners must connect to the newly named REST service to consume the layer in their GIS System: Connect to the . In doing so, partners will be able to continue to gain population-level situational awareness of electricity-dependent populations in their own GIS applications. Please send any questions you may have to and .

 

Active Shooter Resources

 

From the Department of Homeland Security’s : Action guides that align with the dynamic threat environment and include resources that provide the critical infrastructure community with information regarding attack vectors used by terrorists and other extremist actors as well as corresponding suggested protective measures.

The action guide, , supports the general public’s understanding of the immediate actions that can be taken to increase the probability of survival and also can serve as a poster for the critical infrastructure community to use during events.

 

This standard for active shooter and/or hostile events addresses all aspects of the preparedness, response and recovery process, from identifying hazards and assessing vulnerability, to planning, resource management, incident management at a command level, competencies for first responders, and recovery. It was developed in concert by experts from a wide range of specialties and sets forth requirements for communities to establish a unified planning response and recovery program, long before an active shooter/hostile event occurs.

 

Produced by the Healthcare and Public Health Sector Coordinating Council, this may be a helpful teaching adjunct to the guidance document. OSHA resources include guidelines, successful case studies, and a road map to building a culture of safety in health care.

 

More from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 

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