*** No Quiz Winner this Month. No reader answered all five questions correctly in last week's November Quiz. See below for correct responses.

 

*** Graduated Driver Licensing Tool Kit. The Healthy States Initiative, a partnership of the Council of State Governments, the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, and the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, presents the Graduated Driver Licensing Tool Kit. The tool kit includes information on passenger restrictions, nighttime driving restrictions, and state-by-state licensing systems. The tool kit can be downloaded from http://www.healthystates.csg.org/NR/rdonlyres/586D340B-F422-4AB8-B092-9907A4CC2D3C/0/
GDLToolkit.pdf.

 

*** Public/Private Legal Preparedness Initiative. The North Carolina Institute for Public Health at the University of North Carolina School of Public Health, has embarked on a two-year initiative to improve emergency preparedness by removing the legal barriers that hinder effective collaboration among the private, nonprofit, and public sectors. The initiative will focus on Good Samaritan liability for entities assisting in community emergencies and common human resources policies for use during public health emergencies. To learn more about the initiative, visit http://www2.sph.unc.edu/nciph/law.

 

*** WHO Job Vacancy (12/17). The World Health Organization is seeking a Legal Health and Tax Officer to work within the agency's Tobacco Free Initiative. The incumbent will be responsible for providing support for national legislation and regulatory assistance (particularly under the parameters of the Bloomberg Initiative, and relating to taxation and illicit trade) to parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The incumbent will work closely with regional counterparts and national collaborators to develop and assist in the implementation of comprehensive tobacco control programs. For more information, visit https://erecruit.who.int/e-jobs/public/hrd-cl-vac-view.cfm?o_c=1000&jobinfo_uid_c=6527&vaclng=en.

 

*** Public Health Preparedness Summit (2/19-2/23). The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) along with other public health organizations, will present, "Partnering for Preparedness: Strategies and Solutions," on February 19-23, 2007 in Washington DC. For more information, visit http://www.phprep.org/index.shtml.

 

 

 

Top Story

 

1. 1918 flu epidemic teaching valuable lessons

 

States and Localities

 

2. Delaware: Foreign governments appeal dismissal of tobacco lawsuit in Delaware

3. Michigan: A way to safely restrain students?

4. New York: In epic battle, the rat patrol adjusts its aim and digs in

 

National

 

5. Government considers banning lead in children's jewelry

6. Outbreaks reveal food safety net's holes

7. Report says most states still aren't prepared for major emergencies

8. Tastes so good but it's so bad

9. The ethics and politics of compulsory HPV vaccination

 10. U.S. gets tough over alcohol testing kits

 

 

 

Briefly Noted

 

Alabama mobile morgue ∙ Illinois pet preparedness ∙ New Jersey needle exchange ∙ New York trans fat enforcement ∙ Ohio smoking ban ∙ Ohio traffic camera restrictions ∙ Utah tobacco settlement arbitration ∙ Virginia dairy lawsuit dismissal ∙ National school recess cutbacks ∙ Lunch confiscation ∙ E. coli lawsuits ∙ Baby formula shoplifting ∙ Biodefense bill ∙ Canada pandemic influenza plan ∙ Canada acupuncture regulation ∙ Canada mandatory blood testing ∙ Spain smoking laws impact ∙ Switzerland pandemic influenza vaccination plan ∙ Uganda cholera outbreak

 

 

Quotation of the Week

 

Larry Davis, president of the Ohio Trucking Association

 

 

This Week's Feature

 

Law Behind the News. This week, we bring you Canada's newly-updated Pandemic Influenza Plan for the Health Sector. See below for more.

 

 

_____________________________1_____________________________

 

"1918 flu epidemic teaching valuable lessons"

Washington Post     (12/13/06)     David Brown

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/12/AR2006121201628.html

 

New research suggests that non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as school closures, may have saved thousands of American lives during the 1918 influenza pandemic. Earlier research had found that non-pharmaceutical interventions may have delayed influenza's impact in many cities, but probably had little impact on overall mortality. Researchers, led by Dr. Howard Markel from the University of Michigan Medical School, presented the new findings to CDC experts who are formulating guidelines for local health departments to follow during the initial stages of an influenza pandemic, when a vaccine would not be available and antiviral drugs would be in short supply. Martin Cetron, CDC's Director of Global Migration and Quarantine, said, "There is reason for optimism. Even almost 100 years ago, with some very simple tools, there may have been an effect of these measures." Among the public health measures used in 1918 were: isolation of the ill, home quarantines, school closures, curfews, staggered work hours, and use of face masks. The researchers concluded that St. Louis (which closed schools when excess deaths due to flu were 21 per 100,000 per week) seems to have reduced flu mortality by 70 percent, and that Philadelphia (which did not invoke public health measures until excess deaths due to flu were 250 per 100,000 per week) appears to have reduced mortality by 28 percent. After a North Carolina county closed its schools because of a seasonal influenza outbreak last month, a survey of households found that 91 percent supported the school board's decision, even though many adults had to take time off from work to care for children.

 

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"Foreign governments appeal dismissal of tobacco lawsuit in Delaware"

Associated Press     (12/06/06)     Randall Chase

http://www.examiner.com/a-440286~Foreign_governments_appeal_dismissal_of_tobacco_
lawsuit_in_Del_.html

 

Panama and the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo have asked the Delaware Supreme Court to overturn a lower court dismissal of their damages lawsuit against the tobacco industry to recover government medical expenditures on smokers' illnesses. In 1998, the two foreign governments filed their lawsuit in Louisiana state court, but the court ruled that Louisiana was not the proper forum. Last year, the governments filed their case in Delaware. A Delaware lower court judge dismissed the lawsuit, holding that the governments were not seeking damages for smokers' personal injuries, that they had failed to prove that tobacco products proximately caused the alleged economic injuries, and that they lacked standing to sue (despite the governments' assertion that they could sue as "parents" of their citizens). At a hearing on the appeal to the Delaware Supreme Court, Justice Ridgely suggested that foreign governments could ban tobacco sales or pass laws, which would provide their own courts with jurisdiction to hear claims against tobacco companies, "as opposed to coming to the United States to litigate." Also at the hearing, Justice Berger asked defendant Philip Morris USA to distinguish between the foreign governments' lawsuit and the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement between tobacco companies and the 46 U.S. states that recovered costs for treating sick smokers. Philip Morris' attorney, Kenneth Parsigian, responded that U.S. states gave away some sovereignty to the federal government in exchange for being allowed to bring their lawsuits. Parsigian argued that foreign governments lack this right to sue and, "Even if you do have it, you still have to prove a direct injury."

 

_____________________________3_____________________________

 

"A way to safely restrain students?"

Detroit Free Press     (12/08/06)     Lori Higgins

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061208/NEWS06/612080435

 

In 2003, following the death of an autistic student who had been physically restrained by school staff, the Michigan Department of Education drafted rules on the use of restraints and seclusion in schools. The policies applied only to special-education students and allowed staff to physically restrict the movement of violent students and seclude them in a room. Yesterday, the state Board of Education was to consider its fourth version of the policy this year. Special-education advocates hope for a ban on "inhumane practices," while educators want a way to address children with "challenging behaviors." Kathleen Straus, Board president, said she believes the proposed policy strikes a good compromise. If approved, the policy would apply to all students and would restrict the use of seclusion and restraints to emergency situations. The proposal would require that schools document each instance in which seclusion or restraints are used, and would ban prone (face down) restraint, or restraint in any manner that would affect a student's ability to breathe. "These practices are inherently dangerous," said Mark McWilliams, director of education advocacy for the Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service. But some guardians of potentially violent children worry that schools would bar students if educators do not have the ability to protect themselves. Some educators are concerned that the new policy would place too many restrictions on them. "We're concerned that classroom teachers and administrators ... would not have the tools they need in potentially explosive situations," said Tony Derezinski, of the Michigan Association of School Boards.

 

[Editor's note: The Michigan Board of Education approved the policy yesterday. See: "Student-restraint policy calls for training, reporting"

Kalamazoo Gazette     (12/13/06)     Judy Putnam http://www.mlive.com/news/kzgazette/index.ssf?/base/news-20/1166026802279240.xml&coll=7]

 

_____________________________4_____________________________

 

"In epic battle, the rat patrol adjusts its aim and digs in"

The New York Times     (12/05/06)     Sewell Chan

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/05/nyregion/05rats.html?em&ex=1165467600&en=5d7e0260a8fb
0c06&ei=5087%0A (subscription required)

 

New York City officials have drastically changed their approach to rat abatement, adopting a policy now being watched by cities across the United States. The program, known as "integrated pest management," takes a preventive approach to infestations by coordinating the efforts of the Buildings, Health, Parks, and Sanitation Departments, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and the Housing Authority. In recent years, officials have responded to residents' complaints simply by using rat poison and baits, but officials are now moving away from that approach because of human safety concerns about poisons, and because rats are beginning to show resistance to them. Public health officials have known the most effective strategy for centuries, but have moved away from it, according to Stephen C. Frantz, a retired State Department of Health official. "The key to success was environmental management that focused on eliminating food sources, water and harborage," he said. "Today, we place far too much reliance on poisoning." The renewed effort involves cutting off the rats' food supply (garbage), and controlling the clutter and debris that provide shelter for rat communities. Inspectors are currently collecting information to prioritize areas with sites that need cleaning, to use rodenticides more selectively, and to educate residents about disposing of garbage. Under the city's Health Code, owners of private property are responsible for dealing with rats on their premises, but the health department sends exterminators and lot cleaners out if the owner fails a follow-up inspection.

 

[Editor's note: To learn more about the NYC Rodent Initiative, visit http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/pest/pest2.shtml.]

 

_____________________________5_____________________________

 

"Government considers banning lead in children's jewelry"

Washington Post     (12/07/06)     Annys Shin and Juliet Eilperin

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/06/AR2006120601882.html

 

The staff of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has recommended that the CPSC ban the sale of toy jewelry containing more than 0.06 percent lead. The CPSC is expected to vote on the proposal next week. Lead is commonly added to children's jewelry for heft. But the potential for children to ingest lead by sucking or swallowing has led to numerous recalls since 2004. Besides lead's potential to harm brain development, its ingestion can prove fatal -- as it did in the case of a 4 year-old child who swallowed a 99 percent lead bracelet earlier this year. The Sierra Club petitioned the CPSC to request the ban and also petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to require that manufacturers provide health and safety studies on lead in their products. EPA denied the petition, citing a lack of agency authority. According to EPA spokeswoman Enesta Jones, under the Toxic Substances Act, the EPA and the CPSC share jurisdiction over lead in toy jewelry. Since regulation of lead in vehicle emissions began in the 1970s, lead air pollution has decreased by over 90 percent in most of the nation, thus shifting public concern to other sources of lead, like paint and toys.

 

_____________________________6______________________________

 

"Outbreaks reveal food safety net's holes"

Washington Post     (12/11/06)     Annys Shin

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/10/AR2006121000903.html

 

Consumer advocates and government officials agree that the nation's food safety system could do more to prevent outbreaks of food-borne illness from fresh produce. And yet, three months after the spinach E. coli outbreak that killed three people and sickened about 200, there is little agreement about how to address the problem. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) David W.K. Acheson, "It's fairly clear something needs to change. Having illness and repeated outbreaks, especially the ones we've seen in the last couple of months, is clearly unacceptable to everyone." Advocates want mandatory food safety standards and increased enforcement. Food distributors and restaurants want continued self-regulation. Meanwhile, growers and packers have suggested a voluntary system with built-in oversight. The FDA and the states share oversight of fruit and vegetable safety but only have jurisdiction over processing plants, not farms. Without authority to regulate the growing of food, FDA regulators have relied on letters of admonishment and requests that the produce industry publish voluntary guidelines. According to Kevin Reilly, a California food safety official, "What's necessary is an agreed-upon set of agricultural practices." Growers and packers have made efforts to better regulate the safety of their products under pressure from supermarket chains and distributors, and the Food Marketing Institute and the National Restaurant Association are developing separate guidelines.

 

[Editor's note: To learn more about CDC's role in national food safety efforts, visit http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/.]  

 

_____________________________7_____________________________

 

"Report says most states still aren't prepared for major emergencies"

McClatchy Newspapers     (12/12/06)     David Goldstein

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/16224038.htm

 

A report released yesterday by the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) concluded that the United States is not fully prepared to respond to a major public health emergency. TFAH's fourth annual report, Ready or Not? Protecting the Public's Health from Diseases, Disasters and Bioterrorism, concludes that the nation's public health emergency response system is underfunded and lacks accountability. "The overall message is, to some degree we are doing better. But we're not as prepared as we ought to be. There is tremendous unevenness across the states," said Jeffrey Levi, TFAH's executive director. According to the report, half of U.S. states met six or fewer of the group's ten benchmarks established to provide "a composite snapshot of preparedness, including strengths and vulnerabilities." Oklahoma was the only state to meet all ten criteria. Only Kansas met nine. Among other findings, the report concluded that hospital beds would be depleted in half of the states within two weeks of a moderate influenza outbreak, compounded by the problem that forty states have a nursing shortage. Only 15 states, New York City, and Chicago could deliver pharmaceuticals quickly from CDC's Strategic National Stockpile to affected areas. TFAH offered several recommendations, including placing a single federal official at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services over all public health programs, and establishing an emergency health benefit so the uninsured would quickly seek treatment after an infectious disease event.

 

[Editor's note: To read Ready or Not? Protecting the Public's Health from Diseases, Disasters and Bioterrorism, visit http://healthyamericans.org/reports/bioterror06/BioTerrorReport2006.pdf.]

 

_____________________________8_____________________________

 

"Tastes so good but it's so bad"

Chicago Tribune     (12/10/06)     Jeremy Manier

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0612100368dec10,1,6513283.story?coll=
chi-newsnationworld-hedd

 

New York City's ban on trans fat has ignited a debate on how best to restrict the harmful substance while avoiding the law of unintended consequences. Artificial trans fat is formulated by adding hydrogen to a liquid such as soybean oil. The resulting substance stays solid at room temperature and fresh for a long time, properties that bakers and fried food preparers appreciate. Yet, a decade of research has found that trans fat increases bad cholesterol and lowers good cholesterol, thus providing public health experts with arguments for restricting it. Walter Willett, chairman of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, said, "By banning trans fat, we're removing a toxin from the food supply that's man-made and should not be there." But other experts say a trans fat ban could be almost as detrimental to public health as not having a ban. Gil Leveille, former director of research for Nabisco, noted that partially hydrogenated oil was once considered healthier than lard, butter, and beef tallow, which were all common a generation ago. And Gary List, a U.S. Department of Agriculture researcher on fats and oils, stated, "If you get rid of the trans fat but you have to replace it with saturated fats, you're back to square one. If the goal is to replace both trans fat and saturated fat, it's a lot tougher." Some analysts point out that U.S. farmers are increasingly supplying healthier oils which could be alternatives to trans fat.

 

[Editor's note: The text of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's health code amendments restricting the use of trans fat is available at http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/public/notice-adoption-hc-art81-08.pdf. To learn more about trans fat from the FDA, visit http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2003/503_fats.html.]

 

_____________________________9_____________________________

 

"The ethics and politics of compulsory HPV vaccination"

New England Journal of Medicine     (12/07/06)     James Colgrove

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/355/23/2389

 

The author of this article reviews ethical, epidemiologic, and political arguments for and against mandating human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations for young girls. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States, infecting more than six million people each year. Nearly 10,000 women a year are diagnosed with cervical cancer, a disease caused by some strains of the virus. The vaccine is most effective before girls become sexually active. In September, a bill requiring HPV vaccines for girls entering sixth grade was approved by Michigan's senate; other states are likely to follow. Because of some issues specific to HPV, the debate about compulsory vaccination is particularly complicated. On one side are organizations such as Women in Government, who support legal requirements and consider HPV a women's health issue. Groups opposing legal mandates include some religious conservatives who worry that compulsory vaccination would threaten teens' sexual abstinence efforts. Other groups question the vaccine's safety (although it has been licensed as safe by FDA). Some parents might seek exemptions to vaccination requirements on religious or non-religious, philosophical grounds. To bioethicists, who tend to regard patient autonomy and informed consent of highest value, mandatory vaccination with HPV vaccine might be considered unacceptably paternalistic. The author comments that, "Different ethical frameworks that accord varying weights to communitarian and individualistic values will lead to contrasting answers to this question."

 

_____________________________10______________________________

 

"U.S. gets tough over alcohol testing kits"

Lloyd's List     (12/06/06)     Rajesh Joshi

http://www.lloydslist.com (subscription required)

 

The United States Coast Guard has reminded shippers that commercial ships calling at U.S. harbors must have federally approved alcohol testing kits onboard, or face stiff fines. A U.S. law that went into effect in June allows for civil fines of up to $5,500 per day if ship-owners and operators do not ensure that persons on board involved in "serious marine incidents" are tested for alcohol within two hours of the incident. The law also requires testing for drugs within 32 hours of an incident. The federal rule is estimated to affect 181,000 commercial vessels, including foreign-flag ships, and is expected to cost $206 on average per ship ($113 for the actual testing device and $93 for training). Although some industry members commented that Congress intended the Coast Guard to carry out the testing, the new rule states, "The marine employer has the responsibility to ensure that the alcohol testing occurs." According to the rule, requiring the Coast Guard to take action in all cases would "impermissibly burden limited Coast Guard resources." The rule is part of the Coast Guard's implementation of the Coast Guard Appropriations Act of 1998, which required post-incident alcohol testing within two hours of an incident. If testing cannot be completed within two hours because of "safety concerns directly related to the casualty," the testing deadline can be extended by six hours. During the 1990s, many marine casualties appear to have involved alcohol.

 

 

_____________________BRIEFLY NOTED______________________

 

 

Alabama: State emergency management agency prepares to deal with deaths

"Alabama only state that has a rolling mortuary"

The Birmingham News     (12/11/06)     Ginny MacDonald

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1165832439254760.xml&coll=2

 

Illinois: State legislature approves proposal requiring that emergency plan include pets

"Measure includes pets in emergency plan"

Herald & Review     (12/06/06)     Kurt Erickson

http://www.herald-review.com/articles/2006/12/06/news/state/1019635.txt

 

New Jersey: Governor expected to sign needle exchange law

"Trenton: Legislature approves needle exchange"

The New York Times     (12/12/06)     Richard G. Jones

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/12/nyregion/12mbrfs-needle.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&
pagewanted=print

 

New York: Enforcement is next step in trans fat restriction

"Next for NYC trans fat ban"

Associated Press     (12/10/06)     David B. Caruso

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/16209999.htm

 

Ohio: Under new law, truckers will be banned from lighting up

"Ohio smoking ban includes truck cabs"

Associated Press     (12/06/06)    

http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=231578

 

Ohio: Traffic-enforcement cameras authorized in narrow circumstances

"Red-light camera restrictions pass but opponent of bill sees bright side"

Toledo Blade     (12/07/06)     Jim Provance

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061207/NEWS24/612070390

 

Utah: Federal court judge orders state into arbitration with tobacco companies

"Ruling could cost Utah its tobacco settlement"

Deseret Morning News     (12/09/06)     Geoffrey Fattah

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650213701,00.html

 

Virginia: Federal court judge dismisses dieter's lawsuit against dairy industry

"Got lawsuit? Milk dieter's is thrown out"

Washington Post     (12/07/06)     Jerry Markon

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/06/AR2006120602161.htmll

 

National: School districts cutting back on playtime

"Before children ask: 'What's recess?'"

The New York Times     (12/10/06)     Debra Nussbaum

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/10/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/10Rrecess.html?pagewanted=1

 

National: U.S. Border agents confiscate lunches to protect national security

"Brown-bag crackdown"

The Globe and Mail     (12/07/06)     Barrie McKenna

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20061207.RTRUCKERS07/TPStory/Business

 

National: Taco Bell sued over E. coli

"E. coli cases prompting an outbreak of lawsuits"

Philadelphia Inquirer     (12/09/06)     Adam Fifield, Sam Wood, and Harold Brubaker

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/16199709.htm

 

National: Baby formula shoplifting scheme impacts infant health

"Baby formula: Thieves love it"

Salt Lake Tribune     (12/03/06)     Lisa Rosetta

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_4764544

 

 National: President expected to sign biodefense legislation

"Law passes retooling effort on bioterror"

Washington Post     (12/12/06)     Renae Merlee

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/11/AR2006121101411.html

 

Canada: National pandemic influenza plan updated after two years

"Health minister releases updated pandemic flu plan for health sector"

Canadian Press     (12/09/06)     Helen Branswell

http://origin.www.cbc.ca/cp/health/061209/x120917A.html

 

Canada: Ontario regulates Chinese medicine

"Regulating acupuncture welcomed as 'a blessing'"

London Free Press     (12/06/06)     John Miner

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/2006/12/06/2652845-sun.html

 

Canada: Mandatory blood testing bill to benefit first responders

"Rescuers to get faster results on infections"

Canadian Press     (12/08/06)     Chinta Puxley

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/CityandRegion/2006/12/08/2686252-sun.html

 

Spain: Anti-smoking laws have impacted health

"Half a million Spaniards stop smoking"

Deutsche Presse-Agentur     (12/11/06)    

http://social.moldova.org/stiri/eng/21273/

 

Switzerland: In case of pandemic flu, all Swiss will be vaccinated

"Swiss spell out pandemic vaccination plan"

Swissinfo     (12/05/06)     Adam Beaumont

http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/front/detail/Swiss_spell_out_pandemic_vaccination_plan.html?site
Sect=105&sid=7322504&cKey=1165352438000

 

Uganda: Kampala City Council bans street food and drink sales

"Food vending banned as cholera death toll rises"

The Monitor     (12/08/06)     Robert Mwanje

http://allafrica.com/stories/200612080007.html

 

 

 

__________PHL NEWS QUOTATION OF THE WEEK___________

 

"The whole idea of the smoking ban is secondhand smoke. If you're talking about one guy in one truck, how is that secondhand smoke?"

 

-- Larry Davis, president of the Ohio Trucking Association, on Ohio's recent smoking ban. The ban will prohibit smoking in all work places, including company-owned vehicles. [See Briefly Noted item, above.]

 

 

 

__________________LAW BEHIND THE NEWS___________________

 

Last week, Canada released the first official update of its national pandemic influenza plan in nearly two years. The Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan for the Health Sector outlines actions that the health sector should take during each pandemic phase, and clarifies the roles and responsibilities of people who will be involved. The plan places emphasis on the prioritized use of vaccines and anti-viral drugs, and provides guidelines for infection control, occupational health, and resource management in traditional and non-traditional health care settings.

 

The revised document includes more emphasis on pandemic planning for First Nations (native peoples) communities and reserves, although an updated version of that information is expected in January 2007. Other newly-added topics include public health measures and surveillance. The plan also offers recommendations for public education, management of individuals with "influenza-like illness," and community-based disease control strategies.

 

To read the Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan for the Health Sector, visit http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/cpip-pclcpi/pdf-e/CPIP-2006_e.pdf.

 

 

 

_______THE MONTHLY QUIZ ANSWERS: NOVEMBER 2006________

 

The November Quiz covered the following issues of the CDC Public Health Law News: November 1, November 8, November 15, and November 22. Here are the correct answers:

 

1. A survey conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health assessing real-world concerns related to social distancing plans for a pandemic found that one in four adults could not afford to miss work for one week. (Answer C)

 

2. The model Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioners Act, an attempt to remedy the lack of a uniform system to efficiently recognize licensing privileges for interstate health practitioners during emergencies, was approved unanimously by the American Bar Association. (Answer D)

 

3. After being elected Director-General of the World Health Organization by the World Health Assembly, Dr. Margaret Chan said, "The health of the people of Africa must therefore be the key indicator of the performance of WHO." (Answer C)

 

4. In the case of a Missouri man accused of knowingly having sex with five women who did not know he was HIV positive, the defendant's lawyer cited a 1998 Missouri law stating that a person's HIV status "shall be strictly confidential." In response, the judge closed the hearing to the public. (Answer D)

 

5. England's Department of Health recently issued guidelines to reduce the risk of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in health care settings. The guidelines recommend that certain patients, including surgical ones, be screened for MRSA. (Answer B)

 

___________________________________________________________

 

 

The CDC Public Health Law News is published each Wednesday except holidays, plus special issues when warranted. It is distributed only in electronic form and is free of charge.  News content is selected solely on the basis of newsworthiness and potential interest to readers. CDC and DHHS assume no responsibility for the factual accuracy of the items presented. The selection, omission, or content of items does not imply any endorsement or other position taken by CDC or DHHS. Opinions expressed by the original authors of items included in the News, or persons quoted therein, are strictly their own and are in no way meant to represent the opinion or views of CDC or DHHS. References to products, trade names, publications, news sources, and non-CDC web sites are provided solely for informational purposes and do not imply endorsement by CDC or DHHS. Legal cases are presented for educational purposes only, and are not meant to represent the current state of the law. The findings and conclusions in this document are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The News is in the public domain and may be freely forwarded and reproduced without permission. The original news sources and the CDC Public Health Law News should be cited as sources. Readers should contact the cited news sources for the full text of the articles.

 

For past issues or to subscribe to the weekly CDC Public Health Law News, visit http://www2a.cdc.gov/phlp/cphln.asp. For help with subscriptions or to make comments or suggestions, send an email to Rachel Weiss at rweiss@cdc.gov.

 

The News is published by the Public Health Law Program, Office of the Chief of Public Health Practice, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Rachel Weiss, J.D., Acting Editor; André Verani, J.D., Associate Editor; Frederic E. Shaw, M.D. J.D., Editorial Advisor.
 

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