Highlights
Healthcare Ready’s report to Congress, Protecting National Public Health and Health Care Infrastructure for the Next Disaster calls for greater federal oversight and interagency communication and coordination in preparing for and responding to public health emergencies. The report is the result of more than a year of research and interviews with public health agencies and subject matter experts across national health security and public health preparedness. Read the summary recommendations to Congress and HHS leaders to learn more about what should be done to improve national public health preparedness capabilities.
Healthcare Ready was recently awarded a grant from the Center for Disaster Philanthropy to conduct research and support trainings that address healthcare workforce impacts from COVID-19. Expanding the capacity of healthcare workers, especially in historically medically underserved communities is essential for reversing trends in growing healthcare disparities and fostering resilience in communities hardest-hit by COVID-19. Click here to read more about how CDP is working to support COVID-19 recovery in the U.S.
As part of our ARCHER program for community health centers, we recently released Supply Ready, a report on leading practices for disaster-related supply chain resilience. Compared to hospitals and other healthcare facilities, community health centers often have smaller operating budgets, greater restrictions on spending, and less physical storage space. Read the report to learn how resilient teams increased purchasing power, leveraged partnerships, and optimized donation operations during the pandemic and other disasters.
A Note From Our Executive Director
On January 11, 2023, Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Xavier Becerra extended the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) through May 11, 2023. This extension is vital: the COVID-19 PHE has helped facilitate increased coordination across public and private health systems, aligned priorities across and within points of care, accelerated supply manufacturing and distribution, and channeled funding towards efforts that have saved lives.
While I am thrilled with this most recent extension, I am also concerned about what will happen once the PHE expires if we don’t begin planning and coordinating now. Healthcare Ready’s Senior Program Manager, Courtney Romolt, perfectly captures what’s at stake in this moment:
"The COVID-19 Public Health Declaration enables states and healthcare providers to leverage a suite of regulatory waivers and resources to support patients. If the PHE is ended while the system is still stressed, or without sufficient planning with partners -- including private sector supply chain, payers, and healthcare facilities -- there is a significant risk that some patients are left behind."
There are also real implications for recent gains in Medicaid coverage that were fueled by the continuous enrollment provision. Because the provision will expire when the PHE ends, it’s estimated that up to 14 million people could lose coverage within the 12-month unwinding period.
While we at Healthcare Ready hope that the PHE continues, the risks to public well-being are too great to not begin planning for this eventuality today. Dr. Nicolette Louissaint of the Healthcare Distribution Alliance perfectly sums up what’s at stake in a recent blog. “Getting this transition right now will pay dividends down the line. The lessons learned from managing the shift to commercialization of COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics will be instrumental to responding to future public health crises.”
|
|
|
|
Pediatric Respiratory Surge Event
Healthcare Ready released its last Pediatric Surge in respiratory illness situation report on January 20. Healthcare Ready will remain alert for future response needs. Viewers can find previous situation reports and resources here. Subscribe here for future reports.
CDC has released Respiratory Virus Hospitalization Surveillance Network (RESP-NET), a new dashboard tracker with data on RSV, COVID-19, and influenza hospitalization rates. Surveillance is conducted through a network of acute care hospitals in various counties throughout thirteen states and covers more than twenty-nine million people and an estimated 8-10% of the US population.
Treatments for RSV and other Respiratory Illnesses
Moderna has reported its RSV vaccine, mRNA-1345, to be 83.7% effective against lowering RSV respiratory tract disease. Stéphane Bancel, Moderna's Chief Executive Officer, states that the ”results represent a key step in preventing lower respiratory disease due to RSV in adults 60 years and older - and represents the second demonstration of positive phase 3 trial results from our mRNA infectious disease vaccine platform after, Spikevax, our COVID-19 vaccine.” Moderna intends to submit mRNA-1345 for regulatory approval in the first half of 2023. Findings from this trial will inform future implementations of vaccines in more vulnerable regions and populations.
- As of January 30, Moderna was granted a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) breakthrough therapy designation for mRNA-1345, an investigational RSV vaccine candidate. The designation will allow the development and review of Moderna RSV vaccine candidate to be expedited and highlights the valuable health impact. The FDA's Breakthrough Designation for mRNA-1345 further emphasizes the considerable health impact of RSV in older adult. Moderna’s mRNA platform “has demonstrated two positive Phase 3 infectious disease trial results”. The study is currently ongoing, and an updated safety analysis will be provided before regulatory submission.
January has shown a drop in flu vaccine uptake among adults as the season has progressed, although coverage among those that are pregnant remain low. Overall coverage amongst children is similar to those of last season with exceptions of increased coverage among Hispanic children. Data shows that racial and ethnic disparities continue among adults although there have been few improvements in coverage among black adults and Asian American adults and urban and suburban areas of the country also seem to be higher than its rural counterparts. As flu season continues, the CDC continues to recommend vaccination.
Mpox Virus Updates
Given the low number of cases, the mpox emergency declaration came to an end January 31, 2023, as the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) did not expect the need to renew the emergency declaration that was initially put into place in August 2022. HHS states that they will continue to monitor case trends and encourage all at-risk individuals to get a free vaccine. To find vaccine locations near you, visit mpoxvaxmap.org.
Vaccination Strategy and Vaccine Accessibility
The CDC has released data on the demographics of patients receiving TPOXX for treatment of mpox. TPOXX has been authorized for use under FDA regulations and as of January, there are 6,832 patients prescribed or treated with TPOXX, primarily male, ages 31-35.
Vulnerable Populations
CDC has released a weekly morbidity and mortality report on the epidemiology of the human mpox. The report details the increase in mpox in other countries between 2018 and 2021. “Mpox cases were confirmed in six African countries. Eight primary and three secondary cases associated with travel to Nigeria were identified in four non-African countries.” Mpox training and prevention courses have also been available since 2018. Data shows that improvements in surveillance and community engagement will be important in detection and containment in the virus.
COVID-19 Updates
After 12 extensions of the COVID-19 PHE since January 2020, the Biden Administration informed Congress that they would be ending the final COVID-19 PHE on May 11, 2023. Ending the public health emergency declaration could have impacts on various COVID-19 measures such as controlled substance prescriptions through telehealth, federal relief money, vaccine treatment and development, and Medicaid eligibility renewals, which would eliminate coverage for millions of beneficiaries.
On January 25, CDC launched the COVID-19 Testing Locator Website which allows viewers to search for free COVID-19 testing sites near them. The locater was created under the CDC Increasing Community Access to Testing (ICATT) program, as it is a program focused on high-risk communities such as those that are uninsured, as well as surge testing in state and local jurisdictions. Free testing is available at ICATT locations for those with or without health insurance. Testing locations can also be found at pharmacies, commercial laboratory sites, and community and retail locations. Currently, test include Nucleic Acid Amplification test, PCR test, and rapid antigen testing and patients can expect to receive results within 24-48 hours. Visit testinglocator.cdc.gov to find a location near you.
On January 6, CDC released a weekly morbidity and mortality report on Racial and Ethnic Differences in COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage Among Children and Adolescents Aged 5–17 and parental Intent to vaccinate their children. The report states that 1-dose COVID-19 vaccination coverage was low among children and youth ages 5-17, but highest among Asian, Hispanic, or Latino children. Among unvaccinated children and adolescents, parents reported low confidence in vaccine safety. The report recommends that providers should share culturally relevant information and vaccine recommendations to increase coverage and address disparities in COVID-19 vaccination coverage.
Supply Chain Updates
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued immediately-in-effect guidance on compounding specific ibuprofen products in order to increase the supply of ibuprofen oral suspension products. The guidance highlights the FDA’s regulatory and enforcement priorities, as they have received reports of demand increase for fever reducing medications specifically needed for pediatric patients with fever and adults who are unable to swallow oral dosages, as well as reports emphasizing the challenges hospitals and healthcare systems are facing in regard to obtaining these medications.
- The US Food and Drug Administration is continuing to monitor the pediatric ibuprofen and acetaminophen supplies which have experienced increased demand due to increases in respiratory illnesses since fall of 2022. While there is not a nationwide shortage of these drugs, there are still widespread stockouts in regions of the country due to overbuying of products and the lack of ability to redistribute excess supplies to areas experiencing spot shortages. The FDA continues to work with manufactures on efforts to increase supply.
The White House Office of Public Engagement sends out a weekly health community engagement newsletter. The following provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act went into effect on January 1st:
- Additional vaccines are now available and free of charge for individuals with Medicare prescription drug coverage. The list of vaccines include shingles and Tdap which provide substantial savings for those enrolled in Medicare.
- A one-month supply of each covered insulin will be capped at 35$. There will be no deductible for this product for individuals with Medicare prescription drug coverage.
- If you or a loved one need assistance in exploring options to find a plan that works best, you are encouraged to call 1-800-MEDICARE.
- “Manufacturers will need to pay rebates to Medicare if their price increases for certain drugs exceed inflation.”
Members of the community are free to join the bi-weekly White House Health Community Engagement Call Wednesday, January 11th at 2:30pm ET. RSVP here
|
|
|
Health Equity
HHS will be investing $139 Million towards the Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) in 2023 to provide diabetes prevention and treatment services for American Indian and Alaskan communities. Funding awards have gone towards 302 sites in thirty-five states under the grant cycle beginning this January 2023 with an additional eleven newly funded organizations and tribes. “American Indian and Alaska Native communities have historically had disproportionately higher rates of diabetes than other populations.” Through Programs such as the SDPI, community driven strategies can continue to be used to prevent and treat diabetes within American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
On January 17, the Biden Administration and the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders released their first National Strategy to Advance Equity, Justice, and Opportunity for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) Communities. Officials outlined strategy details in regard to 32 federal agency plans, as they build on previous actions used to promote equity for Asian Americans and NHPI communities. Although the Biden Administration has taken steps in the past to address the needs of the AA and NHPI communities, with the new proposed strategy, the public can see the “whole-of-government approach to advancing equity and addressing the challenges that Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities face.”
Public Health and Community Engagement
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released, Marking the 50th Anniversary of Roe: Biden-Harris Administration Efforts to Protect Reproductive Health Care, a report highlighting the actions taken by HHS amid health crises brought by the decision to overturn Roe Vs Wade. HHS has worked to protect reproductive care and have taken actions using resource available under the department’s jurisdictions, such as reaffirming the departments commitment to protecting the right to abortion, issuing guidance to clarify birth control coverage under the Affordable Care Act, and protecting medical privacy using resources available under the department’s jurisdictions. Find the full report here or read Bidens memorandum on further efforts taken to protect reproductive healthcare services.
On January 4, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), announced the results of their 2021 National Survey on Drug use and Health, an annual survey that shows how individuals across the nation reported their experience with mental health conditions, substance abuse, and treatment. The report is broken down by race, age, and ethnicity and is currently the most comprehensive report to cover substance use and mental health indicators that SAMHSA has released to date. The survey is a part of the Biden Administrations Unity Agenda to address the ongoing national mental health and drug overdose crisis, improve access to mental healthcare, prevent overdoses, and save more lives.
The US Department of Health and Human Services and the US Department of Labor, and treasury introduced a new rule to strengthen access to birth control coverage under the Affordable Care Act. The new rule will expand access to coverage so that it’s available to all women who need or want birth control. Women’s preventative services such as birth control and contraceptive counseling are guaranteed under the Affordable Care Act at no cost for individuals who are enrolled in group health plans or individual health insurance coverage. The rules are a component of the Biden Administrations commitment to ensuring access to reproductive health care and to expand access to birth control and family planning services.
On January 11, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has joined the government of Uganda in marking the end of the Ebola outbreak in Uganda. Screening and public health monitoring for travelers entering the US who have been in Uganda in the prior 21 days have been lifted. The CDC “remains committed to partnering with the Ugandan Ministry of Health in support of survivor programs and in helping strengthen global preparedness and response capacities that can prevent or extinguish future Ebola outbreaks.” The CDC will also continue to assist the Ugandan Ministry of Health in continuing surveillance infection prevention control and response to ensure rapid detection in future cases.
|
|
|
16th Annual EMAT Leadership Symposium
February 12, 2023 - February 15, 2023
San Marcos, Texas
Registration
DRI 2023 Business Continuity Conference
February 26, 2023 - Wed, March 01, 2023
Austin, Texas
Registration
2023 Association of Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Professionals Annual Conference
February 27, 2023 - Wed, March 01, 2023
Scottsdale, AZ
Registration
NACCHO 2023 Preparedness Summit – Recover. Renew: Reprioritizing All-Hazards Preparedness
April 24 – 27, 2023
Atlanta, Georgia
Early bird registration deadline: February 10
Registration
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
