In this edition of I Raise the Rates (IRtR), you will find a variety of new resources from several public health partners, educational opportunities, and a brief selection of popular media articles related to immunization.

NEW ACP Physician to Physician Conversation Video Now Available

"Physician to Physician Conversation video series releases a new episode, “Managing COVID-19 in an Outpatient Setting" with tips on best practices for managing COVID-19 in the outpatient setting. Leading the discussion are Drs. Diane Klein-Ritter and Jennifer Hensley, internal medicine physicians based in Commack, NY. 

The new episode and the rest of the ACP's Physician to Physician Conversation video series are available on ACP’s YouTube Channel

CDC Unveils Newly Revamped CDC.gov

The CDC recently unveiled its newly revamped CDC.gov website, in following with the agency’s pursuit of improving its communication with the public.

The newly streamlined website is the culmination of extensive user testing and feedback, ensuring that vital health information is more accessible and easier to find for all audiences.

Seeking to strengthen the speed and clarity of agency communications, CDC received and incorporated feedback from over 3,000 users during a beta preview in March which gave partners and the public an opportunity to explore the new website and provide feedback prior to launch.

Click the video below for a tour of the new site.

CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)

5/30/2024

Outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Viruses in U.S. Dairy Cattle and Detection of Two Human Cases-United States, 2024

What is already known about this topic?

Influenza A(H5) virus infection was detected in two U.S. farm workers during a multistate outbreak of A(H5N1) viruses in dairy cows; these are the first known instances of presumed cow-to-human transmission of avian influenza A viruses.

What is added by this report?

Approximately 350 exposed farm workers are being monitored; one of the two cases was identified via daily, active monitoring. Surveillance has identified no unusual influenza activity trends in the United States. A(H5) candidate vaccine viruses are available, and laboratory analyses indicate that A(H5N1) viruses circulating in cows and other animals are susceptible to FDA-approved antivirals.

What are the implications for public health practice?

Current risk to the U.S. public from A(H5N1) viruses is low; however, persons exposed to infected animals or contaminated materials, including raw cow’s milk, are at higher risk and should take precautions and self-monitor for illness. A One Health (human, animal, and environmental) approach is critical to preparing for circumstances that could increase risk to human health.

CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)

5/16/2024

Real-Time Use of a Dynamic Model to Measure the Impact of Public Health Interventions on Measles Outbreak Size and Durations-Chicago, Illinois, 2024

What is already known about this topic?

Measles is a highly infectious, vaccine-preventable disease. Fifty-seven measles cases were associated with residence in or contact with persons in a migrant shelter in Chicago, Illinois.

What is added by this report?

CDC developed dynamic models of shelter residents in real time to produce forecasts and assess the impact of interventions on outbreak size and duration. These models aided expectation-setting and resource planning and underscored the need for vaccination campaigns.

What are the implications for public health practice?

Real-time modeling can support public health response, set expectations about outbreak size and duration, and quantify the impact of interventions. Prompt mass vaccination and active case-finding likely substantially reduced the likelihood of a large measles outbreak in Chicago.

U.S. to Make Millions of Bird Flu Vaccine Doses This Summer, As Cases Grow

CDC

4.8 million doses of flu vaccine are being prepared for use in response to the growing outbreak of avian influenza, or H5N1, in the US.

The order for the doses to be filled into vials comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating a growing number of human cases linked to the unprecedented outbreak of the virus in dairy cattle this year.

The supplies, manufactured by CSL Seqirus, will be pulled from a "pre-pandemic" stockpile funded by the federal Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response.

While the CDC says the risk to the general public from H5N1 remains low for now, the agency has warned that workers in places like dairy farms and production facilities are now at higher risk of infection and it has urged the industry to take precautions.

COVID-19 Vaccination Public Education Campaign Saved Thousands of Lives, Billions of Dollars

HHS

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) COVID-19 Vaccination Public Education Campaign, We Can Do This, resulted in an estimated $731.9 billion in societal benefits due to averted illness and related costs, resulting in a nearly $90 return in societal benefits for every $1 spent, according to research published today in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine.