MMWR News Synopsis
Thursday, September 6, 2018
Assessment of State, Local, and Territorial Zika Planning and Preparedness Activities — United States, June 2016–July 2017
CDC Media Relations
404-639-3286
The ability of health departments to prepare for and respond to emerging public health challenges is pivotal to protect the health of all Americans. The 2015-2016 Zika virus epidemic demonstrated how health departments, with the assistance of CDC, were able to quickly adapt and enhance planning to respond to a new threat. During the 2015-2016 Zika virus epidemic, CDC awarded $25 million in supplemental funding to 41 states, eight territories and four metropolitan areas to support preparedness and response efforts. This report is the first to present a snapshot of preparedness activities performed by grant recipients and demonstrates improving readiness in the event Zika virus were to emerge in the future. Health departments need to be ready to adapt to emerging public health challenges. The ability of state, local and territorial governments to adapt quickly in response to the arrival of Zika virus was because of the 16 years of preparedness coordination between CDC and health departments across the country.
Progress Toward Poliovirus Containment Implementation — Worldwide, 2017–2018
CDC Media Relations
404-639-3286
Poliovirus containment requires global participation and is essential to ensure polio is not reintroduced into the population after polio eradication. As the world progresses toward polio disease eradication, polioviruses in laboratories and other facilities must be securely contained to prevent release back into the human population. The global poliovirus containment initiative, essential to maintaining a polio-free world, is underway in every country and currently focuses on the poliovirus serotype that has been declared eradicated (type 2). Facilities with type 2 poliovirus must undergo a rigorous certification process including audits from a national authority. In addition, facilities around the world must inspect specimen inventories to ensure that samples were not collected at a time and place when poliovirus was in circulation in the community. While there are many challenges in implementing this complex international program, important poliovirus containment achievements have been made in the last year.
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
CDC works 24/7 protecting America’s health, safety and security. Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are curable or preventable, chronic or acute, or from human activity or deliberate attack, CDC responds to America’s most pressing health threats. CDC is headquartered in Atlanta and has experts located throughout the United States and the world.
