Moving the Need on Infection Prevention. International Infection Prevention Week: October 13-19, 2024.

International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW): October 13–19, 2024

This year’s theme, “Moving the Needle on Infection Prevention,” is all about advancing infection prevention efforts and making infection prevention fun and engaging for your team.

APIC provides activities like the Build a Bug Contest or daily infection prevention Wordles. These interactive events are designed to spark creativity, teamwork, and excitement while reinforcing the best practices that keep everyone safe.

Ways to Use This Resource:

Build a Bug Contest: Challenge your team to create their own superbug and showcase how they would stop it!

Daily Wordle: Add some brain-teasing fun to your day with infection prevention-themed Wordles.

Infection Prevention Challenges: Bring out the competitive spirit with trivia, scavenger hunts, and more.

Target Audience: Essential to Foundational IPC education level

Guidance & Regulation Updates

VIPTA members track guidance and regulation resources to share source documents that guide infection prevention and control practices for public health staff and clinical and non-clinical healthcare personnel.

The date of the regulation or guidance update is included in each post. Please check linked content to be sure it is the most up to date and recommended practice.

Disruption in Production of IV Fluid Due to Impacts from Hurricane Helene

VDH

Any Practice Setting

Emergency Preparedness & Operations

Addresses the disruption in production of IV solutions as a result of Hurricane Helene on the Baxter International Inc. North Cove manufacturing facility in Marion, North Carolina. Includes updates, recommendations to mitigate the impact, and VDH’s response to the situation.

Pneumococcal Vaccine Recommendations

CDC

Acute Care Hospital

Adult Day Care

Ambulatory (Outpatient) Care

Department of Health

Home Health

Mobile Clinic

Nursing Home / Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF)

Vaccination

The recommended age for receiving the pneumococcal vaccination was lowered from 65 to 50 years to give more adults the opportunity to protect themselves from pneumococcal disease at the age when risk of infection substantially increases.

Marburg Virus Disease Update

VDH

Any Practice Setting

Emergency Preparedness & Operations

Update on the situation summary and CDC recommendations regarding the Marburg Outbreak in the Republic of Rwanda.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and Pharmacist Influenza Testing

VDH

Any Practice Setting

Emergency Preparedness & Operations

Information on VDH’s continued monitoring of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A (H5N1) in poultry and dairy cattle that has resulted in a small number of human infections in parts of the U.S.

Marburg Virus Disease Outbreak in the Republic of Rwanda

CDC

Any Practice Setting

Emergency Preparedness & Operations

Information for clinicians and health departments about the Republic of Rwanda’s confirmed outbreak of Marburg virus disease (MVD). The Health Advisory summarizes recommendations for public health departments and clinicians in the U.S. on case identification and testing and clinical laboratory biosafety considerations.

Image of Eva Anderson, VCU Health IP (left) and Ginger Vanhoozer, VDH IPC Educator (right).

Cuppa Tea with an IP

Let’s raise a mug and celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Virginia Department of Health’s Cuppa Tea with an IP weekly meeting! It’s been a year of forging connections and sharing knowledge among infection prevention pros, all thanks to Cuppa Tea. Inspired by the cozy chats over tea (or coffee!) between Ginger Vanhoozer from the VDH HAI & AR Program and Eva Anderson an IP at VCU Health (shoutout to Eva for the awesome name!), Cuppa Tea has become the go-to hangout for IP enthusiasts.

Forget stuffy office vibes—Cuppa Tea was designed to feel like a laid-back coffee shop catch-up. With tunes setting the mood before each meeting, you’ll feel the camaraderie and warmth that make sharing ideas a breeze. And can we talk numbers? In its debut year, Cuppa Tea drew in 1,397 attendees, with many making it a weekly tradition.

But Cuppa Tea isn’t just about the numbers—it’s about the positive vibes. It’s your weekly quick check-in for the latest infection prevention updates, a chance to pick up some educational nuggets, and a safe space for bouncing ideas off fellow IPs and VDH subject matter experts. Participants have called it “a fun and interactive way to stay in the loop,” “like catching up with old friends who know their stuff,” and “a breath of fresh air for IPs in Virginia.” With its easy-to-digest format and treasure trove of resources, Cuppa Tea has become a staple in the calendars of healthcare professionals across Virginia.

To grab your mug and join this group any Wednesday at 2pm, get your invite at the VDH HAI & AR Training and Education website or at the Cuppa Tea registration link. Here’s to another year of meaningful connections, shared insights, and many more cups of tea (or coffee) with colleagues and friends! Cheers to Cuppa Tea with an IP!