[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 204 (Monday, October 22, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64531-64532]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-25983]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

[DHS Docket No. DHS-2009-0091]


Notice of Availability of Guidance for Protecting Responders' 
Health During the First Week Following a Wide-Area Aerosol Anthrax 
Attack

AGENCY: Office of Health Affairs, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is announcing the 
availability of a guidance document, Guidance for Protecting 
Responders' Health During the First Week Following a Wide-Area Aerosol 
Anthrax Attack. This guidance provides recommendations for protecting 
personnel responding to a wide-area anthrax attack from developing 
anthrax as a result of exposure to aerosolized Bacillus anthracis 
spores and for minimizing the amount of exposure in the first week of a 
response. Protective measures addressed in the guidance include medical 
countermeasures (i.e., drugs, vaccine), personal protective equipment 
(PPE), and other possible work practices. A federal interagency working 
group that included subject matter experts in biodefense, infectious 
diseases, and occupational health and safety developed this guidance. 
Persons interested in obtaining a copy of the guidance may do so by 
using the Internet. The guidance is available at http://www.regulations.gov, http://phe.gov and http://www.dhs.gov/publication/protecting-responders-health-after-wide-area-aerosol-anthrax-attack.
    This document is also available in hard-copy for all those that 
request it from the federal points of contact.

DATES: The guidance is available beginning October 12, 2012.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Department of Homeland Security: David V. Adams, Chief, Planning & 
Exercise Support Branch, Office of Health Affairs, Mail Stop 0315, 
Washington, DC 20528, email address [email protected], telephone 
number (202) 254-5756.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): Lisa Kaplowitz, MD, 
MSHA, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Policy and Planning, Office 
of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, 200 
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20201, telephone number (202) 
205-2882.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 27, 2009, DHS published a notice 
announcing the availability of ``Proposed Guidance for Protecting 
Responders' Health During the First Week Following a Wide-Area Anthrax 
Attack.'' 74 FR 55246. DHS solicited public feedback and received 
comments from 75 respondents, including responders, academia, political 
leaders, and government agencies. Respondents expressed support for the 
guidance, provided valuable technical feedback in

[[Page 64532]]

a number of areas of the proposed guidance, as well as commenting on 
other areas broadly related to an anthrax release/event that are 
outside the scope of this guidance (e.g., training and funding for 
vaccination). DHS, HHS and federal partners considered all of the 
comments and revised the document as appropriate. Specifically, we have 
increased the clarity of the document and better integrated guidance 
from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the 
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 
including more specificity regarding the use of personal protective 
equipment (PPE). In addition, a number of changes were made to the 
document to accommodate evolving knowledge regarding the effectiveness 
of alternative interventions as well as federal policy in the areas of 
biological protection and response, particularly efforts to make 
medical countermeasures more readily available. This included 
incorporating recommendations from a report published by the Advisory 
Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) in the Morbidity and 
Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), July 23, 2010, regarding the ``Use of 
Anthrax Vaccine in the United States.'' To access the public comments, 
please go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov and access the DHS summary describing the guidance 
(see Docket No. DHS-2009-0091).
    DHS and HHS are now announcing the availability of a revised 
guidance document, Guidance for Protecting Responders' Health During 
the First Week Following a Wide-Area Aerosol Anthrax Attack. This 
guidance can be viewed or downloaded at http://www.regulations.gov, 
http://phe.gov and http://www.dhs.gov/publication/protecting-responders-health-after-wide-area-aerosol-anthrax-attack.
    DHS developed this guidance in consultation with a federal 
interagency working group that included subject matter experts in 
biodefense, infectious diseases, and occupational health and safety. 
The working group included representatives from HHS; the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), NIOSH; the Department of Labor, 
OSHA; and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
    The revised guidance reflects the current understanding of the 
unique environment that would be expected during the first week of a 
wide-area anthrax release, and is expected to evolve with changes to 
our understanding regarding exposure risk, scientific developments, and 
availability of new environmental monitoring techniques. This guidance 
is intended to support ongoing planning and preparation efforts, as 
well as to lay the basis for plans to protect individuals beyond 
traditional first responders. This planning guidance will be refined as 
the evidence base is strengthened for determining exposure risk and the 
efficacy of protective measures. This guidance does not have the force 
or effect of law.
    The DHS Office of Health Affairs is issuing the guidance document 
for public use on behalf of an interagency coalition.

    Dated: October 15, 2012.
Alexander G. Garza,
Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs and Chief Medical Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-25983 Filed 10-19-12; 8:45 am]
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