Becker's Clinical Quality & Infection Control

6 INFECTION CONTROL HHS names new members on vaccine advisory committee By Paige Twenter O n Sept. 15, HHS appointed five new members to the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which is meeting later this week to vote on vaccines for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. In June, HHS removed all 17 standing members of ACIP and replaced them with eight handpicked members, one of which stepped down on the claim of financial conflicts of interest. Several of the new members have shared anti-vaccine rhetoric or made unfounded claims about vaccines, according to CNBC. e five newly appointed members are: • Catherine Stein, PhD, an epidemiologist and professor in Case Western Reserve University's Department of Population & Quantitative Health Sciences and School of Medicine in Cleveland. • Evelyn Griffin, MD, an obstetrician and gynecologist at Baton Rouge (La.) General Hospital. • Hillary Blackburn, PharmD, director of medication access and affordability at St. Louis-based Ascension. She previously served as chief pharmacy officer at the Dispensary of Hope, a charitable medication distributor. • Kirk Milhoan, MD, PhD, a pediatric cardiologist and medical director at For Hearts and Souls Free Medical Clinic in Kihei, Hawaii. He is also a member of the Independent Medical Alliance, a group that has incorrectly claimed COVID-19 vaccines caused rising infant mortality rates, according to e New York Times. • Raymond Pollak, MD, a surgeon, transplant immunobiologist and transplant specialist. He previously served as chief of liver transplantation and director of multi-organ transplant programs at the University of Illinois. n Mayo Clinic granted $40M for air quality project By Mariah Taylor Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic received $40 million to launch an air-quality improvement research project. The project is part of the Advanced Research Project Agency for Health's Breathe program, which aims to advance real- time monitoring and enhancement of indoor air quality in hospitals, according to an Oct. 3 system news release. Airborne contaminants such as bacteria, viruses, mold spores and allergens pose risks in densely populated indoor environments like the emergency department. Improving air quality can mitigate the spread of infectious disease and improve respiratory health. For the project, Mayo Clinic plans to use combined biosensor technology, artificial intelligence algorithms, air quality assessment and prompt intervention. This will allow the system to detect aerosolized pathogens and pollutants in real time and adjust air filtration parameters accordingly. The initiative will be deployed at campuses across Arizona, Florida and Minnesota and initially focus on EDs. The program will launch in three phases over the next five years. n US reports 1st human case of bird flu strain not previously seen in humans By Paige Twenter A Washington state resident has contracted a bird flu strain previously only found in animals, health officials confirmed Nov. 14. e individual has been hospitalized since early November with influenza H5N5, an avian influenza strain never before reported in humans, according to the Washington State Department of Health. e patient is an older adult with underlying health conditions who has a "mixed backyard flock of domestic poultry at home that had exposure to wild birds," officials said, adding the animals likely exposed the virus to the individual but an investigation is ongoing. e CDC said the risk to the public remains low. As of Nov. 14, the CDC has confirmed 71 cases of human bird flu and one death. e most common strain in animals and humans is H5N1. Richard Webby, PhD, a virologist and influenza expert at St. Jude's Children Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., told e Washington Post the H5N5 strain behaves similarly to H5N1 in models. Although the U.S. has not seen a human-to-human transmission of avian flu, public health experts have voiced concerns about the 2025- 26 respiratory virus season. e five-week government shutdown delayed surveillance activities and meetings as emergency department visits for emergency syncytial virus increased, California detected a local spread of a severe mpox strain, the measles outbreak across 43 states grew, and a severe flu strain caused early and severe outbreaks in other countries. n

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