[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 136 (Tuesday, July 18, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45906-45907]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-15175]



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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Docket No. CDC-2023-0062]


Draft Infection Control in Healthcare Personnel: Epidemiology and 
Control of Selected Infections Transmitted Among Healthcare Personnel 
and Patients: Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella-Zoster Virus 
Sections

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

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 (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: Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and 
Varicella-Zoster Virus Sections (``Draft Guideline: Measles, Mumps, 
Rubella, and Varicella-Zoster Virus Sections''). The Draft Guideline: 
Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella-Zoster Virus Sections updates 
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 
its corresponding recommendations in Part II of the 1998 Guideline: 
``8. Measles;'' ``10. Mumps;'' ``15. Rubella;'' and ``21. Varicella.'' 
The updated recommendations in the Draft Guideline: Measles, Mumps, 
Rubella, and Varicella-Zoster Virus Sections are intended for use by 
the leaders and staff of healthcare facilities and systems' 
Occupational Health Services (OHS), as further provided herein. These 
updated recommendations will help facilitate the provision of 
occupational infection prevention and control services to healthcare 
personnel (HCP) who have been exposed or infected and may be contagious 
to others in the workplace.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before September 18, 
2023.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2023-
0062 by either of the methods listed below. Do not submit comments by 
email. CDC does not accept comments by email.
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://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-2023-0062.
    Instructions: 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: 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: Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella-Zoster Virus 
Sections.
    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: Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella-Zoster 
Virus Sections, located in the ``Supporting & Related Material'' tab of 
the docket, updates the Guideline for infection control in health care 
personnel, 1998, Part E: Epidemiology and Control of Selected 
Infections Transmitted Among Health Care Personnel and Patients, and 
its corresponding recommendations in Part II of the 1998 Guideline: 
``8. Measles;'' ``10. Mumps;'' ``15. Rubella;'' and ``21. Varicella.'' 
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.
    As described in the Executive Summary of this guideline (https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/healthcare-personnel/exec-summary.html), 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: Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella-Zoster 
Virus Sections 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: Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella-Zoster Virus 
Sections, once finalized, 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 in 
Draft Guideline: Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella-Zoster Virus 
Sections update the 1998 recommendations with current guidance on the 
management of HCP exposed to or potentially infected with measles, 
mumps, rubella, or varicella-zoster virus, focusing on postexposure 
management, including postexposure

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prophylaxis, 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 Infection 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 others impacted. Draft Guideline: Measles, 
Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella-Zoster Virus Sections, once finalized, 
will be the next sections to be posted to the Infection Control in 
Healthcare Personnel website.
    The updated draft recommendations in Draft Guideline: Measles, 
Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella-Zoster Virus Sections are 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: Measles, Mumps, Rubella, 
and Varicella-Zoster Virus Sections. Please provide references to new 
evidence and justification to support any suggested revisions or 
additions. This Draft Guideline: Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and 
Varicella-Zoster Virus Sections is not a Federal rule or regulation.

    Dated: July 13, 2023.
Tiffany Brown,
Executive Secretary, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2023-15175 Filed 7-17-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P