Calendar January 2008

This Hot Topics for IPC covers the latest on ASPR, AMR, vaccines, and a study on AMR and livestock manure from Michigan State University.

Dental infection control expert Sherrie Busby tackles PPE missteps, from chin-bra masks to cropped lab coats, reminding dental teams that proper protection is crucial, not optional.

Environmental hygiene is about more than just shiny surfaces. At Exchange25, infection prevention experts urged the field to look deeper, rethink blame, and validate cleaning efforts across the entire care environment, not just EVS tasks.

In its first major session under newly appointed leadership, the revamped Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to support flu and RSV vaccinations for the 2025–2026 season, but internal debate over vaccine preservatives, access equity, and risk assessment highlighted the ideological and scientific tensions now shaping federal vaccine policy.

As the newly appointed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met for the first time under sweeping changes by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the national spotlight turned to the panel’s legitimacy, vaccine guidance, and whether science or ideology would steer public health policy in a polarized era.

In the heart of the hospital, decontamination technicians tackle one of health care’s dirtiest—and most vital—jobs. At HSPA 2025, 6 packed workshops led by experts Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski spotlighted the crucial, often-overlooked art of PPE removal. The message was clear: proper doffing saves lives, starting with your own.