[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 38 (Wednesday, February 26, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11084-11085]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-03848]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Docket No. CDC-2020-0011]


DRAFT Infection Control in Healthcare Personnel: Epidemiology and 
Control of Selected Infections Transmitted Among Healthcare Personnel 
and Patients: Diphtheria, Group A Streptococcus, Meningococcal Disease, 
and Pertussis Sections

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

ACTION: Notice with comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the 
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), 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: Diphtheria, Group 
A Streptococcus, Meningococcal Disease, and Pertussis Sections (``Draft 
Guideline''). The Draft Guideline updates four sections of the 
Guideline for infection control in health care personnel, 1998 (``1998 
Guideline''), Part E: Epidemiology and Control of Selected Infections 
Transmitted Among Health Care Personnel and Patients, and their 
corresponding recommendations in Part II of the 1998 Guideline: ``4. 
Diphtheria;'' ``9. Meningococcal Disease;'' ``12. Pertussis;'' and 
``18. Streptococcus, group A infection.'' The updated recommendations 
in the Draft Guideline are intended for use by the leaders and staff of 
Occupational Health Services (OHS) to facilitate the provision of 
occupational infection prevention and control (IPC) services to 
healthcare personnel (HCP) for the management of exposed or infected 
HCP who may be contagious to others in the workplace.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before April 27, 2020.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2020-
0011, by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, National 
Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention, Attn: Docket No. CDC-2020-0011, HICPAC 
Secretariat, 1600 Clifton Rd. NE, Mailstop H16-3, Atlanta, Georgia, 
30329.
    Instructions: Submissions via http://regulations.gov are preferred. 
All submissions received must include the agency name and Docket 
Number. All relevant comments received will be posted without change to 
http://regulations.gov, including any personal information provided. 
For access to the docket to read background documents or comments 
received, go to http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kendra Cox, Division of Healthcare 
Quality Promotion, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious 
Diseases, 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.

[[Page 11085]]

    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. CDC will 
carefully consider all comments submitted in preparation of the final 
Infection Control in Healthcare Personnel: Epidemiology and Control of 
Selected Infections Transmitted Among Healthcare Personnel and Patients 
and may revise the final document as appropriate.

Background

    The Draft Guideline, located in the ``Supporting & Related 
Material'' tab of the docket, updates four sections of the 1998 
Guideline, Part E: Epidemiology and Control of Selected Infections 
Transmitted Among Health Care Personnel and Patients, and their 
corresponding recommendations in Part II of the 1998 Guideline: ``4. 
Diphtheria;'' ``9. Meningococcal Disease;'' ``12. Pertussis;'' and 
``18. Streptococcus, group A infection.'' That section 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. 
Additional updated sections are forthcoming.
    The Draft Guideline is intended for use by the leaders and staff of 
OHS to guide the management of exposed or infected HCP who may be 
contagious to others in the workplace. The draft recommendations update 
the 1998 recommendations with current guidance on the management of 
exposed or potentially infectious HCP, focusing on postexposure 
management, including postexposure prophylaxis (PEP), for exposed HCP 
and work restrictions for exposed or infected HCP.
    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 this Draft Guideline as a recommendation for CDC to update 
sections of the 1998 Guideline. HICPAC includes representatives from 
public health, infectious diseases, regulatory and other federal 
agencies, professional societies, and other stakeholders.
    The updated draft recommendations in this Draft Guideline are 
informed by reviews of the 1998 Guideline; current CDC resources, 
guidance, and guidelines; and new resources and evidence, when 
available. This Draft Guideline will not be a federal rule or 
regulation.

    Dated: February 21, 2020.
Sandra Cashman,
Executive Secretary, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2020-03848 Filed 2-25-20; 8:45 am]
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