Draft Infection Control in Healthcare Personnel: Epidemiology and Control of Selected Infections Transmitted Among Healthcare Personnel and Patients: Pregnant Healthcare Personnel Section, 25407-25408 [2023-08804]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 80 / Wednesday, April 26, 2023 / Notices ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1 certified-eligible WTC survivors.’’ 3 The new WTC Health Program youth research cohort is referred to as ‘‘WTC Youth.’’ In accordance with section 3341, the cohort of WTC Youth must: • Be of sufficient size to conduct future research studies on the health and educational impacts of 9/11 exposures; • Include in this group sufficient representation of individuals who were 21 years of age or younger at the time of exposure; and • Include in this group individuals who are screening-eligible WTC survivors or certified-eligible WTC survivors. The cohort may also include individuals who were 21 years of age or younger on September 11, 2001, who were located outside the NYCDA and in Manhattan not further north than 14th Street; or anywhere within the borough of Brooklyn. Additionally, the cohort may include age-appropriate control populations as needed for research purposes. In response to these new requirements, the Administrator, following consultation with the Secretary of Education, will engage the public for input on a multi-phased approach for establishing the youth cohort. At this time, the Administrator seeks initial comments on the following approach: 1. Phase I: Community Engagement: Gather sufficient information from educators, scientists, and community members on options for establishing a youth cohort that will efficiently support future research. 2. Phase II: Options Development: Use the information gathered in Phase I to develop a set of options for moving forward with establishing the youth cohort. 3. Phase III: Options Ranking: Engage community in ranking the options developed in Phase II. 4. Phase IV: Option Selection and Implementation: Use the information from Phase III to select the preferred option(s) for establishing the youth cohort. Request for Information NIOSH is soliciting information from any interested party, including educators, researchers, clinicians, community members, WTC Health Program members, treatment providers, and government agencies at all levels 3 WTC survivors include individuals who lived, worked, went to school, or attended child or adult day care in the NYC Disaster Area on September 11, 2001, or in the following days, weeks, or months and those otherwise meeting the eligibility criteria in 42 CFR 88.7 or 88.8. VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:28 Apr 25, 2023 Jkt 259001 (Federal, State, Territorial, local, and Tribal), regarding the proposed approach to establishing the WTC Health Program youth cohort. In particular, NIOSH seeks comments on the following items regarding the general approach to assembling the cohort, as described above: 1. Whether the four-phased approach for establishing the youth cohort is comprehensive and adequately incorporates community involvement in selecting a preferred approach for establishing the youth cohort. 2. Any potential partnerships for future actions for establishing the cohort of WTC Youth. NIOSH also seeks information on the following scientific parameters, best practices, and approaches for assembling a research cohort that is best suited for future research of WTC Youth: 3. Ideas regarding outreach, recruitment, retention, community involvement, and project oversight. NIOSH is interested in descriptions of any anticipated barriers to the project and propose potential risk mitigation strategies. 4. Health conditions and potential social and educational impacts (i.e., adverse effects of interest) that may be priorities for future research on WTC Youth. In light of these adverse effects to be researched, NIOSH is interested in descriptions of the cohort characteristics believed necessary to support future research, including recommendations on data collection requirements, such as describing methods for and frequency of contact with prospective cohort members. 5. The recruitment and retention of appropriate control group(s) for future observational studies of WTC Youth. For example, recruitment methods may differ between exposed and control groups given expected differences in participation rates. These differences may lead to a selection bias. A selection bias may also arise given the long period of time between exposure and recruitment (i.e., a survivorship bias). NIOSH is interested in comments regarding selection of controls using methods that reduce the potential for bias in future research. Commenters are encouraged to offer information and insights into the specific topics described above, or any other aspect of this activity. Disclaimer This notice is intended for planning purposes; it does not constitute a formal announcement for comprehensive applications. In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 48 CFR PO 00000 Frm 00050 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 25407 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding award. NIOSH will not provide reimbursement for costs incurred in commenting on this notice. NIOSH will not respond to individual public comments or publish publicly a compendium of responses. An informational submission in response to this notice does not create any commitment by or on behalf of CDC or HHS to develop or pursue any program or ideas discussed. John J. Howard, Administrator, World Trade Center Health Program and Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services. [FR Doc. 2023–08756 Filed 4–25–23; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4163–18–P DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [Docket No. CDC–2023–0025] Draft Infection Control in Healthcare Personnel: Epidemiology and Control of Selected Infections Transmitted Among Healthcare Personnel and Patients: Pregnant Healthcare Personnel Section Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ACTION: Notice with comment period. AGENCY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announces the opening of a docket to obtain comment on the Draft Infection Control in Healthcare Personnel: Epidemiology and Control of Selected Infections Transmitted Among Healthcare Personnel and Patients: Pregnant Healthcare Personnel Section (‘‘Draft Guideline: Pregnant Healthcare Personnel Section’’). The Draft Guideline: Pregnant Healthcare Personnel Section updates the Guideline for infection control in health care personnel, 1998 (‘‘1998 Guideline’’), Part F: Pregnant Personnel, and its corresponding recommendations in Part II of the 1998 Guideline. The updated recommendation in the Draft Guideline: Pregnant Healthcare Personnel Section is intended for use by the leaders and staff of Occupational Health Services. This updated recommendation will help facilitate the provision of occupational infection prevention and control SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\26APN1.SGM 26APN1 25408 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 80 / Wednesday, April 26, 2023 / Notices ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1 services to healthcare personnel (HCP) who are pregnant or intend to become pregnant. DATES: Written comments must be received on or before June 26, 2023. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC–2023– 0025 by either of the methods listed below. Do not submit comments by email. CDC does not accept comments by email. • Federal eRulemaking Portal: https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. • Mail: Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) Secretariat, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop H16–3, Atlanta, Georgia 30329, Attn: Docket Number CDC–2023–0025 Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name and Docket Number. All relevant comments received will be posted without change to https://regulations.gov, including any personal information provided. For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go to https://www.regulations.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura Wells, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop H16–2, Atlanta, Georgia 30329; Telephone: (404) 639– 4000. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public Participation Interested persons or organizations are invited to participate by submitting written views, recommendations, and data related to the Draft Guideline: Pregnant Healthcare Personnel Section. Please note that comments received, including attachments and other supporting materials, are part of the public record and are subject to public disclosure. Comments will be posted on https://www.regulations.gov. Therefore, do not include any information in your comment or supporting materials that you consider confidential or inappropriate for public disclosure. If you include your name, contact information, or other information that identifies you in the body of your comments, that information will be on public display. CDC will review all submissions and may choose to redact, or withhold, submissions containing private or proprietary information such as Social Security numbers, medical information, inappropriate language, or duplicate/near duplicate examples of a mass-mail campaign. Do not submit VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:28 Apr 25, 2023 Jkt 259001 comments by email. CDC does not accept comments by email. Background The Draft Guideline: Pregnant Healthcare Personnel Section, located in the ‘‘Supporting & Related Material’’ tab of the docket, updates the Guideline for infection control in health care personnel, 1998, Part F: Pregnant Personnel, and its corresponding recommendations in Part II of the 1998 Guideline. The 1998 Guideline provided information and recommendations for Occupational Health Services (OHS) of healthcare facilities and systems on the prevention of transmission of infectious diseases among healthcare personnel (HCP) and patients and can be found at https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/11563. In this document, ‘‘OHS’’ is used synonymously with ‘‘Employee Health,’’ ‘‘Employee Health Services,’’ ‘‘Employee Health and Safety,’’ ‘‘Occupational Health,’’ and other such programs. OHS refers to the group, department, or program that addresses many aspects of health and safety in the workplace for HCP, including the provision of clinical services for workrelated injuries, exposures, and illnesses. In healthcare settings, OHS addresses workplace hazards including communicable diseases; slips, trips, and falls; patient handling injuries; chemical exposures; HCP burnout; and workplace violence. This Draft Guideline: Pregnant Healthcare Personnel Section update is part of a larger guideline update: Infection Control in Healthcare Personnel. Part I, Infrastructure and Routine Practices for Occupational Infection Prevention and Control Services (2019) and the Diphtheria, Group A Streptococcus, Meningococcal Disease, Pertussis, and Rabies sections of Part II, Epidemiology and Control of Selected Infections Transmitted Among Healthcare Personnel and Patients (2022) are complete and have been published on the CDC Infection Control Guideline website: https:// www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/ guidelines/healthcare-personnel/ index.html. The Draft Guideline: Pregnant Healthcare Personnel Section, once finalized, is intended for use by the leaders and staff of OHS to guide the provision of occupational infection prevention and control services to HCP who are pregnant or intend to become pregnant. Since 2015, the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) has worked with national partners, academicians, public health professionals, healthcare providers, and other partners to develop Infection PO 00000 Frm 00051 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Control in Healthcare Personnel (https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/ guidelines/healthcare-personnel/ index.html) as a segmental update of the 1998 Guideline. HICPAC is a federal advisory committee appointed to provide advice and guidance to HHS and CDC regarding the practice of infection control and strategies for surveillance, prevention, and control of healthcare-associated infections, antimicrobial resistance, and related events in United States healthcare settings. HICPAC includes representatives from public health, infectious diseases, regulatory and other federal agencies, professional societies, and other stakeholders. Draft Guideline: Pregnant Healthcare Personnel Section, once finalized, will be the next section to be posted to the Infection Control in Healthcare Personnel website. The updated draft recommendation in Draft Guideline: Pregnant Healthcare Personnel Section is informed by reviews of the 1998 Guideline; CDC resources (e.g., CDC infection control website), guidance, and guidelines as noted more specifically in the draft document; and new scientific evidence, when available. CDC is seeking comments on the Draft Guideline: Pregnant Healthcare Personnel Section. Please provide references to new evidence and justification to support any suggested revisions or additions. This Draft Guideline: Pregnant Healthcare Personnel Section is not a federal rule or regulation. Tiffany Brown, Executive Secretary, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [FR Doc. 2023–08804 Filed 4–25–23; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4163–18–P DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Notice of Award of a Single-Source Cooperative Agreement To Fund the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), located within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announces the award of approximately $1,000,000, for Year 1 to International Organization for Migration (IOM). The award will SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\26APN1.SGM 26APN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 80 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25407-25408]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-08804]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Docket No. CDC-2023-0025]


Draft Infection Control in Healthcare Personnel: Epidemiology and 
Control of Selected Infections Transmitted Among Healthcare Personnel 
and Patients: Pregnant Healthcare Personnel Section

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice with comment period.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the 
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announces the opening of 
a docket to obtain comment on the Draft Infection Control in Healthcare 
Personnel: Epidemiology and Control of Selected Infections Transmitted 
Among Healthcare Personnel and Patients: Pregnant Healthcare Personnel 
Section (``Draft Guideline: Pregnant Healthcare Personnel Section''). 
The Draft Guideline: Pregnant Healthcare Personnel Section updates the 
Guideline for infection control in health care personnel, 1998 (``1998 
Guideline''), Part F: Pregnant Personnel, and its corresponding 
recommendations in Part II of the 1998 Guideline. The updated 
recommendation in the Draft Guideline: Pregnant Healthcare Personnel 
Section is intended for use by the leaders and staff of Occupational 
Health Services. This updated recommendation will help facilitate the 
provision of occupational infection prevention and control

[[Page 25408]]

services to healthcare personnel (HCP) who are pregnant or intend to 
become pregnant.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before June 26, 2023.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2023-
0025 by either of the methods listed below. Do not submit comments by 
email. CDC does not accept comments by email.
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory 
Committee (HICPAC) Secretariat, Division of Healthcare Quality 
Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton 
Road NE, Mailstop H16-3, Atlanta, Georgia 30329, Attn: Docket Number 
CDC-2023-0025
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and Docket Number. All relevant comments received will be posted 
without change to https://regulations.gov, including any personal 
information provided. For access to the docket to read background 
documents or comments received, go to https://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura Wells, Division of Healthcare 
Quality Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 
Clifton Road NE, Mailstop H16-2, Atlanta, Georgia 30329; Telephone: 
(404) 639-4000.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Public Participation

    Interested persons or organizations are invited to participate by 
submitting written views, recommendations, and data related to the 
Draft Guideline: Pregnant Healthcare Personnel Section.
    Please note that comments received, including attachments and other 
supporting materials, are part of the public record and are subject to 
public disclosure. Comments will be posted on https://www.regulations.gov. Therefore, do not include any information in your 
comment or supporting materials that you consider confidential or 
inappropriate for public disclosure. If you include your name, contact 
information, or other information that identifies you in the body of 
your comments, that information will be on public display. CDC will 
review all submissions and may choose to redact, or withhold, 
submissions containing private or proprietary information such as 
Social Security numbers, medical information, inappropriate language, 
or duplicate/near duplicate examples of a mass-mail campaign. Do not 
submit comments by email. CDC does not accept comments by email.

Background

    The Draft Guideline: Pregnant Healthcare Personnel Section, located 
in the ``Supporting & Related Material'' tab of the docket, updates the 
Guideline for infection control in health care personnel, 1998, Part F: 
Pregnant Personnel, and its corresponding recommendations in Part II of 
the 1998 Guideline. The 1998 Guideline provided information and 
recommendations for Occupational Health Services (OHS) of healthcare 
facilities and systems on the prevention of transmission of infectious 
diseases among healthcare personnel (HCP) and patients and can be found 
at https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/11563.
    In this document, ``OHS'' is used synonymously with ``Employee 
Health,'' ``Employee Health Services,'' ``Employee Health and Safety,'' 
``Occupational Health,'' and other such programs. OHS refers to the 
group, department, or program that addresses many aspects of health and 
safety in the workplace for HCP, including the provision of clinical 
services for work-related injuries, exposures, and illnesses. In 
healthcare settings, OHS addresses workplace hazards including 
communicable diseases; slips, trips, and falls; patient handling 
injuries; chemical exposures; HCP burnout; and workplace violence.
    This Draft Guideline: Pregnant Healthcare Personnel Section update 
is part of a larger guideline update: Infection Control in Healthcare 
Personnel. Part I, Infrastructure and Routine Practices for 
Occupational Infection Prevention and Control Services (2019) and the 
Diphtheria, Group A Streptococcus, Meningococcal Disease, Pertussis, 
and Rabies sections of Part II, Epidemiology and Control of Selected 
Infections Transmitted Among Healthcare Personnel and Patients (2022) 
are complete and have been published on the CDC Infection Control 
Guideline website: https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/healthcare-personnel/. The Draft Guideline: Pregnant 
Healthcare Personnel Section, once finalized, is intended for use by 
the leaders and staff of OHS to guide the provision of occupational 
infection prevention and control services to HCP who are pregnant or 
intend to become pregnant.
    Since 2015, the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory 
Committee (HICPAC) has worked with national partners, academicians, 
public health professionals, healthcare providers, and other partners 
to develop Infection Control in Healthcare Personnel (https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/healthcare-personnel/) as a segmental update of the 1998 Guideline. HICPAC is a 
federal advisory committee appointed to provide advice and guidance to 
HHS and CDC regarding the practice of infection control and strategies 
for surveillance, prevention, and control of healthcare-associated 
infections, antimicrobial resistance, and related events in United 
States healthcare settings. HICPAC includes representatives from public 
health, infectious diseases, regulatory and other federal agencies, 
professional societies, and other stakeholders. Draft Guideline: 
Pregnant Healthcare Personnel Section, once finalized, will be the next 
section to be posted to the Infection Control in Healthcare Personnel 
website.
    The updated draft recommendation in Draft Guideline: Pregnant 
Healthcare Personnel Section is informed by reviews of the 1998 
Guideline; CDC resources (e.g., CDC infection control website), 
guidance, and guidelines as noted more specifically in the draft 
document; and new scientific evidence, when available. CDC is seeking 
comments on the Draft Guideline: Pregnant Healthcare Personnel Section. 
Please provide references to new evidence and justification to support 
any suggested revisions or additions. This Draft Guideline: Pregnant 
Healthcare Personnel Section is not a federal rule or regulation.

Tiffany Brown,
Executive Secretary, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2023-08804 Filed 4-25-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P
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