National Public Health Information Coalition (NPHIC) -
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NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
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Get ready for National Influenza Vaccination Week
National Influenza Vaccination Week is set for Dec. 8-14 this year and CDC, as outlined in the current NPHIC newsletter, is offering numerous resources to help you get on board the promotional campaign. Check the NIVW resources and multiple other links to influenza information on page 9 of the November-December newsletter.
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Hong Kong hit with first H7N9 case
Hong Kong has reported its first case of H7N9 avian influenza, prompting concerns that the virulent virus may be spreading beyond mainland China and Taiwan. The case involves a woman, 36, who travelled to Shenzhen in the mainland and came into contact with live poultry. She is hospitalized and in critical condition. Seventeen of her co-workers, friends and family have been quarantined, and another 200 with whom she had contact are under surveillance. Infection control measures have been taken at hospitals, live chicken farms and stalls in markets, and boundary checkpoints. H7N9 currently is not highly contagious between humans. Thus far, there have been 139 cases of H7N9 and 45 deaths. More from BBC here and from China Times here.
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Vaccine hesitancy and acceptance webinar set
A VICNetwork webinar titled “Lessons Learned on Vaccine Hesitancy and Acceptance is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 18, at Noon Eastern. Findings from CDC research about vaccine acceptance/hesitancy will be reviewed and information will be shared regarding how the findings have informed CDC’s communication efforts. Presenters will be Glen Nowak, director of the Grady College Center for Health and Risk Communication; Allison Kennedy Fisher, a CDC epidemiologist; and Jenny Mullen, a CDC health communication specialist. Kennedy Fisher and Mullen are from the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Register here.
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Alarm sounded over rising measles, pertussis cases
Modern Healthcare ran this excellent article about how vaccine-preventable diseases like measles and pertussis have been rising in recent years in areas where child immunization rates have fallen. The article notes that the growing number of cases puts a strain on state and local public health systems, which have faced substantial budget cuts in recent years. Last week, CDC produced this digital press kit and this infographic on measles. CDC notes that this year, we've seen the second largest number of measles cases in the U.S. since the disease was thought to be eliminated here in 2000.
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Study: Air pollution and genetics linked to autism
Analysis of the study “Childhood Autism Risks from Genetics and the Environment” finds that children with a particular gene variant who are exposed to air pollution are at higher risk of developing autism. Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, analyzed data from the study, which included 408 California pre-schoolers between the ages of two and five. Of those 408 children, 252 met the genetic criteria for autism, and many had been exposed to air pollution based on where they lived, local traffic reports, and regional air quality measures. The study is scheduled for January 2014 publication in the journal Epidemiology. An advance article is here.
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Food for thought - 11 nutrition myths busted
AuthorityNutrition.com has published its “biggest lies, myths and misconceptions” of mainstream nutrition. The #1 myth is that eggs are bad for you. Read the article here. AuthorityNutrition.com is a site that “helps people make informed decisions about their health based on the best scientific evidence available.”
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FDA starts regulating compounding pharmacies
The FDA on Monday began the process of regulating compounding pharmacies, which create new drug combinations or alter drugs. Under the Drug Quality and Security Act, signed into law Nov. 27 by President Obama, these pharmacies are being encouraged to register with the FDA. The agency will then classify them as outsourcing pharmacies, enabling them to sell bulk drugs to hospitals and other health-care facilities. The law was prompted by the deaths last year of 64 people who received fungus-contaminated steroid medications. More here.
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Vaccinations begin Dec. 9 for Princeton outbreak
A voluntary vaccination campaign to halt the spread of a rare form of meningitis at Princeton University is set to run Dec. 9-12. Up to 6,000 students will receive their first of two doses of serogroup B meningococcal vaccine. That vaccine, which had been availale only in Europe and Australia, was quickly approved by FDA to fight the rare disease that has stricken eight at Princeton. There also have been four cases of the disease at the University of California at Santa Barbara, but FDA’s approval currently only covers Princeton. New Jersey Dept. of Health FAQ is here. CDC Health Advisory is here and a Q&A on the vaccine is here. A Trenton Times editorial praising CDC and FDA for their rapid response is here.
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Free 'Solve the Outbreak' app updated
CDC has updated Solve the Outbreak, the free iPad app that puts you in the shoes of a disease detective. The app now has six newly released outbreaks. Get clues, analyze data and solve the case. Do you quarantine the village? Interview the sick? Run more lab tests? The better your answers, the higher your score - and the more quickly you’ll save lives. Website is here and you can register here.
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Harvard study: You'd be nuts not to eat them
A 30-year study that tracked 119,000 men and women found that those who ate nuts regularly were 20 percent less likely to die during the study period than those who never ate nuts. It also was noted that nut eaters generally engaged in healthier activities. The study was led by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School and published in the New England Journal of Medicine. An article about the study is here, the published study is here, and a 3-minute video is here.
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New health disparities report covers gamut
CDC’s second “Health Disparities and Inequalities Report” has just been released showing disparities in deaths and illness, use of health care, behavioral risk factors for disease, environmental hazards, and social determinants of health. This year’s report contains 10 new topics: access to healthier foods, activity limitations due to chronic diseases, asthma attacks, fatal and nonfatal work-related injuries and illnesses, health-related quality of life, periodontitis in adults, residential proximity to major highways, tuberculosis, and unemployment. CDC’s news release is here and the report is here.
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Health Matters for Women e-newsletter
The latest issue of CDC’s Health Matters for Women e-newsletter has just been published. It contains news and information related to women’s health from CDC and other national, state and local agencies. Read it here.
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Deadliest outbreaks of past century and earlier
In an article noting how the rising population and antibiotic resistance will pose tremendous challenges regarding disease outbreaks by the 22nd Century, LiveScience lists the five scariest outbreaks of the 20th Century. Here’s the article. Additionally, Column Five Media has this interesting infographic on the deadliest pandemics throughout recorded history. Its sources were Mayo Clinic, CDC, WHO, New York Times and the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
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Tips for getting your press releases read
Press releases are far from dead and can live a life of their own, according to Sarah Skerik, vice president of content marketing for PR Newswire. Here are her “8 tips for getting your press releases read and shared.”
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Healthy recipes for the holidays
Who knew that New York strip steak with whiskey-mushroom sauce and cheesecake could be healthy recipes? The Mayo Clinic says they are here. How about cheddar & scallion corn bread? It’s one of Fitness Magazine’s 12 “season’s eatings” here. Or pumpkin pancakes, crispy potato latkes and turkey chili? Those are among Wellness Today’s 101 healthy holiday recipes here. Looking for a gluten-free menu? Look no further than here.
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5 evils of agency PR, part 3
The third part of the “5 evils of agency PR” weekly series focuses on the month-to-month variability of time and materials expenses. It’s titled Budget Flux.
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Study: Start moving to stay young
A new study finds that exercise among older adults helps ward off depression, dementia and other health problems, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Exercise increased the odds of healthy aging as much as sevenfold, according to research led by University College London and published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. While many benefits of physical activity are well known, the study shows that the “I’m too old” excuse just doesn’t fly. HealthDay article here and CBS News coverage here.
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NPHIC Tweets
RT @VICNetwork: RT @tweek75: Measles cases in U.S. rise; most unvaccinated, CDC says http://t.co/6ed7N3aFLA via @LizSzabo
Hong Kong hit with first H7N9 bird flu case, prompting fears the virus may be spreading beyond China & Taiwan. http://t.co/9NBCasArSr
#publichealth Harvard study: You'd be nuts not to eat them. Details at http://t.co/9NBCasArSr News Highlights
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