Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1122871
14 INFECTION CONTROL Physicians 'terrorized into silence' by anti-vaccine groups online By Mackenzie Bean M any physicians face online harass- ment when posting about vaccines on their practices' social media pages, which can oen scare them into silence, reported the Los Angeles Times. Since late 2017, anti-vaccine groups have coordinated more than 50 online campaigns against providers who ad- vocate for vaccines, according to Chad Hermann, communications director for Pittsburgh-based Kids Plus Pediatrics. Mr. Hermann has tracked the online harass- ment campaigns by anti-vaccine groups since his practice was targeted in 2017. In the online campaigns, vaccine oppo- nents flood physicians' social media pages with negative comments and reviews. Some campaigns have even escalated to threats of harm, prompting 911 calls, according to Mr. Hermann. "When pediatric practices are being … terrorized into silence, it's going to create a void in the discourse," he told the Los An- geles Times. "And we all know who's going to fill that: the anti-vax folks." Mr. Hermann and Todd Wolynn, MD, CEO of Kids Plus Pediatrics, are encour- aging physicians to stand up to online attacks. They are working on a pro bono project called "Shots Heard Round the World," that offers tips and resources to help physicians fight the attacks and pro- mote pro-vaccine messages. n 50%+ of hospital trainees work while experiencing flu-like illness By Anuja Vaidya W orking while sick with influenza-like illness may be common in training programs at hos- pitals, according to a study published in the American Journal of Infection Control. Researchers conducted the study at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. They polled internal medicine and subspecialty house staff and program directors via an anonymous electronic survey between April 23 and June 15, 2018. Forty-nine percent of 200 house staff members and 59 percent of 39 program directors participated in the survey. Researchers found: • Fifty-four percent of trainees and 26 percent of program leaders reported working while sick with flu-like illness in the past year. • More than 90 percent of trainees and program leaders reported that working while sick with flu- like illness places others at risk. • However, only 9 percent of program leaders accurately estimated the prevalence of trainees working while sick. Both trainees and program directors cited "not wanting to burden colleagues" as the top reason for working while sick with flu-like illness. Additionally, most trainees did not correctly answer flu knowledge questions. n Measles uptick may be 'new normal,' says CDC leader By Mackenzie Bean T he U.S. will more regularly see measles outbreaks in pockets of unvaccinated individuals, health experts told STAT. Four things to know: 1. As of May 3, the CDC had confirmed 764 measles cases this year, marking the highest number of cases reported since 1994. 2. Nancy Messonnier, MD, director the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said the recent uptick in measles cases represents a "new nor- mal" for the U.S. 3. Eradicating measles is a possible feat — two doses of the mumps, measles and rubella vaccine is 97 percent effec- tive at preventing measles. However, gaps in vaccination coverage have undone progress to eliminate measles and caused massive outbreaks worldwide. 4. William Moss, MD, a professor of infectious diseases epidemiology at Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Universi- ty, sits on a World Health Organization committee focused on measles eradication. The committee is set to share a discussion paper on the topic at WHO's 2020 World Health Assembly. "To be honest, I don't see a goal being set in the next five years [to eradicate measles]," Dr. Moss told STAT. "What I see actually happening is some more interim milestones being set. And then at some future date, the issue being raised again. Maybe that's 2025. I'm not sure." n