Policy

A poster at the APIC Annual Conference and Exposition held from June 15 to 17, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee. After managing bloodborne pathogen exposures affecting more than 3,000 patients, Providence Health & Services developed a multidisciplinary playbook to improve preparedness, communication, and response during future large-scale events.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will present one of the most complex infectious disease challenges ever faced by infection preventionists and public health officials. Spanning 3 countries, 16 host cities, and millions of international travelers, the tournament creates opportunities for the spread of respiratory illnesses, foodborne diseases, sexually transmitted infections, vector-borne pathogens, and rare high-consequence diseases. While the matches will last only a few weeks, surveillance efforts will need to continue for months afterward as infections such as tuberculosis and other travel-associated diseases emerge.

A large real-world study involving more than 430,000 adults aged 65 years and older found comparable effectiveness between adjuvanted and high-dose influenza vaccines, reinforcing current ACIP recommendations and giving health care systems greater flexibility during vaccine procurement and influenza season planning. In this Q&A, Mendel Haag, PhD, senior director of the Center of Outcomes Research & Epidemiology in global medical affairs at CSL Seqirus, discusses vaccine confidence, influenza misinformation, operational barriers to vaccination, and why ongoing real-world evidence remains critical for protecting vulnerable older adult populations.

The MV Hondius hantavirus outbreak exposed a critical surveillance gap: by the time official alerts were issued, exposed passengers had already dispersed across multiple countries. This article explores how infection preventionists can use emerging open-source dashboards, real-time data aggregation tools, and internal informatics systems to bridge the dangerous lag between exposure events and actionable public health intelligence. From cruise ship outbreaks to facility-level exposures, the piece examines how digital surveillance may help IPs shift from reactive outbreak reconstruction to faster, proactive containment strategies.

The 2026 Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak is rapidly escalating across the DRC and Uganda, exposing how fragile global outbreak preparedness becomes when surveillance systems, community engagement programs, and frontline public health infrastructure are allowed to erode. This article examines how delayed detection, funding cuts, weakened infection prevention capacity, and growing community resistance are complicating containment efforts for a strain with no approved vaccine or targeted treatment. The outbreak is becoming a stark reminder that global health security depends on sustained investment long before the next emergency begins.

Test your infection prevention and control knowledge with this IPC-themed crossword puzzle featuring terms and concepts related to hand hygiene, sterilization, PPE, outbreak prevention, and health care-associated infections. Designed for health care professionals, the puzzle offers an engaging way to reinforce key IPC principles while promoting education and awareness.

The 2026 Ebola outbreak is forcing infection prevention teams to confront a difficult question: Are hospitals truly prepared for a high-consequence infectious disease event today? With the rare Bundibugyo strain spreading across Central Africa and no licensed vaccine or approved treatment available, experts say now is the time for facilities to reopen, review, and test the HCID response plans many have not touched since 2015.

The 2026 Ebola outbreak has now spread to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, with the WHO reporting more than 513 cases and over 130 suspected deaths linked to the Bundibugyo strain, which currently has no approved vaccine or treatment. This article examines the outbreak through both a global health and infection prevention lens, highlighting concerns over weakened public health infrastructure, CDC staffing cuts, reduced USAID funding, and lessons still unlearned from prior Ebola and COVID-19 responses. Experts warn that while widespread US transmission remains unlikely, early investment in global outbreak response is critical to preventing future public health emergencies.

Johns Hopkins experts warn malaria remains a global threat despite vaccine progress. Drug resistance, climate change, and funding cuts could reverse gains, highlighting the need for sustained investment, surveillance, and layered prevention strategies.

A new global study reveals meningitis caused 259,000 deaths in 2023, with children most affected, highlighting stalled progress, vaccine gaps, and the need for stronger surveillance and prevention strategies.

Antimicrobial resistance threatens all of modern medicine. Infectious disease expert Amesh Adalja, MD, FIDSA, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, warns that health care workers face occupational exposure to drug-resistant bacteria. Judicious antibiotic use and policy reforms like the PASTEUR Act are critical solutions.

Tuberculosis affects 10.7 million annually. IPC professionals prevent health care-associated TB through respiratory isolation, staff screening, and contact investigation. World TB Day 2026 affirms TB elimination is achievable through dedicated infection prevention.

Federal court halts vaccine schedule changes, upholding evidence-based immunization practices. ICT reached out to key opinion leaders to find out their thoughts

Lawmakers are pressing HHS to release a CDC study on reusable health care textiles and PPE. Industry leaders say reusable gowns and linens could strengthen supply chains, reduce waste, and protect health care workers during emergencies, but the report remains unpublished.

As her 2025 APIC presidency concludes, Carol McLay, DrPH, MPH, RN, CIC, FAPIC, FSHEA, discusses public health funding cuts, science advocacy, global partnerships, workforce development, and why infection preventionists must speak up. In this exclusive ICT interview, she shares lessons from a tumultuous year and her vision for strengthening the infection prevention profession worldwide.

Infection prevention professionals are weighing in on the CDC’s updated vaccine schedule. An ICT survey reveals mixed familiarity, rising patient questions, and a strong call for clearer guidance and communication tools. Here’s what IPC leaders say about implementation, confidence, and the real-world impact of vaccine policy changes.

At FDA Rare Disease Day 2026, leaders highlighted new regulatory pathways, faster review programs, and patient-centered innovations accelerating treatments for rare diseases, including NF1 and pediatric cancers. From the Plausible Mechanism Framework to expanded real-world evidence use, the message was clear: Urgency, flexibility, and patient voice are driving rare disease drug development forward.

As debate over COVID-19 origins continues, critics warn that reductions in NIH and CDC biodefense efforts could weaken US pandemic preparedness. From halted CDC databases to shifting NIH priorities, experts question whether scaling back federal response capacity leaves the nation vulnerable to future biological threats and emerging infectious diseases.

IPC professionals are on the front lines of translating vaccine policy into practice. Share your perspective on how recent CDC vaccine schedule updates are affecting communication, confidence, and infection prevention efforts in your facility. This brief, anonymous survey will help highlight gaps, needs, and opportunities to better support the IPC community.

In this physician-authored analysis, a December 2025 CMS policy change ending mandatory childhood vaccine reporting is examined through a clinical and public health lens. The article warns that reduced surveillance, weakened federal recommendations, and increased reliance on shared decision making without clinical equipoise could accelerate declining vaccination rates, undermine outbreak response, and leave families without clear, evidence-based guidance.

A recent CMS policy change means states will no longer be required to report childhood vaccination data, raising serious concerns for infection prevention and control professionals. Without reliable immunization reporting, IPC teams may lose critical visibility into vaccine coverage, complicating outbreak prevention, policy decisions, and public trust at a time of rising vaccine hesitancy and declining community immunity.

A broad coalition of medical, public health, and infection prevention organizations is urging federal leaders to reaffirm a transparent, evidence-based US childhood immunization policy. The joint letter warns that reducing recommended vaccines, especially during a severe flu and RSV season, could increase preventable illness, hospitalization, and death among children.

The revision maintains insurance coverage for all vaccines but moves several doses into high-risk or shared decision-making categories as HHS commits to new clinical trials.

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