Public Health Review Morning Edition

Dr. Josh Sharfstein, a former public health official in Maryland and principal deputy commissioner at the FDA from 2009 until 2011, says continued public confusion over testing, booster doses, and medications could be improved if two federal agencies thrown into the spotlight by the COVID-19 pandemic could find a way to work more closely together; Safe States Alliance Executive Director Richard Hamburg says many public health jurisdictions have had challenges implementing equity approaches into their injury and violence prevention work; and Kristin Ahrens, Pennsylvania's Deputy Secretary for the Office of Developmental Programs, says telehealth has been a critical tool in helping serve people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities during the pandemic. New York Times Opinion: The CDC and FDA Can Work Better Together Safe States Alliance: Injury and Violence Prevention Health Equity Scan ASTHO Webpage: Public Health Review

Joanne Pearsol, ASTHO's Director of Workforce Development, explains how states and territories are working to help a weary public health workforce survive the pandemic; and we share details about the 11th annual African American Conference on Disabilities happening now through February 17th. ASTHO Health Policy Prospectus: COVID-19 Pandemic Further Strains Public Health Workforce ASTHO Blog Article: ASTHO Policy Watch – Public Health Workforce ASTHO News Release: ASTHO Unveils Top 10 Public Health State Policy Issues to Watch in 2022 Registration Link: 11th Annual African American Conference on Disabilities

Dr. Jose Romero, a pediatrician and Arkansas' Secretary of Health, says there's work to be done to prepare for the possibility of a vaccine for infants and toddlers; Dr. Josh Sharfstein, a pediatrician and former health officer in Maryland who teaches health policy at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, says parents of preschoolers are the most familiar with the benefits of vaccines and tells us why that's important; and ASTHO announces May 10-11 as the dates for this year's virtual public health Tech Xpo event. CNN Health: Pfizer and BioNTech seeking emergency use authorization from FDA for COVID-19 vaccine for children younger than 5 ASTHO TechXpo Team email: techxpo@astho.org

Joanne Pearsol, ASTHO's Director of Workforce Development, says more than 40,000 public health professionals responded to the latest PHWins survey; Dr. Jamie Pina, ASTHO's Vice President of Public Health Data Modernization, offers a plan to modernize public health data; and a COVID-19 vaccine for very young children could win emergency approval from the FDA in as little as two weeks. ASTHO webpage: PH Wins – Research to Action Journal of Public Health Management and Practice: With Major Investments From Congress and Technology in Hand, What Will It Take to Make Public Health Data Modernization a Reality? CNN Health: Pfizer and BioNTech seeking emergency use authorization from FDA for COVID-19 vaccine for children younger than 5

Kristin Ahrens, Deputy Secretary of Pennsylvania's Office of Developmental Programs, says the pandemic crisis ultimately will make services for people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities stronger; ASTHO's Abe Kulungara shares how states and territories have worked to improve housing conditions for people in their jurisdictions; the CDC offers a toolkit for public health professionals looking to discuss cardiovascular health during American Heart Month; and ASTHO outlines its top 10 policy issues to watch in 2022. ASTHO: Public Health Review podcast CDC: Healthy Homes booklet CDC: American Heart Month Toolkits 2022 ASTHO News Release: ASTHO Unveils Top 10 Public Health State Policy Issues to Watch in 2022

Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, reflects on current events in the context of Black History Month, on the first day of the month-long recognition; Dr. Anne Zink, ASTHO's President-elect, considers the pandemic's lessons and what's next for the nation; ASTHO releases its top ten list of public health policy opportunities; and a new COVID-19 vaccine comparison chart is available online. ASTHO News Release: ASTHO Unveils Top 10 Public Health State Policy Issues to Watch in 2022 ASTHO Issue Brief: COVID-19 Vaccine Comparison

Jan Malcolm, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Health, outlines policy steps available to limit youth access to E-cigarettes and flavored tobacco products; ASTHO CEO Mike Fraser reflects on the start of Black History Month; ASTHO shares a conversation with Gail Christopher, Executive Director of the National Collaborative for Health Equity, addressing racial equity and the connections to public health; and we release details of a webinar planned for February 9th teaching attendees how to balance self-care and personal safety with their leadership duties and staff responsibilities. ASTHO Health Policy Prospectus: E-Cigarettes and Flavored Tobacco Products ASTHO Blog Article: ASTHO Policy Watch – E-Cigarettes and Flavored Tobacco Products ASTHO Blog Article: Reflections on Black History Month – A Q&A with Gail Christopher and Michael Fraser ASTHO Webinar: Public Health Leadership Under Assault

Rachael Banks, Oregon's Director of Public Health, says the focus on immunizations during the pandemic is a perfect opportunity to expand the public health conversation. Immunizations are one of ASTHO's top 10 policy issues to watch in 2022; Yaryna Onufrey, an ASTHO analyst for social and behavioral health, says the money from settlements of opioid lawsuits will fund a variety of opioid treatment programs and organizations in jurisdictions across the states and territories; and ASTHO announces a webinar to discuss strategies and systems to enhance breastfeeding support in communities. ASTHO Health Policy Prospectus: Immunization – A Cornerstone of Public Health ASTHO Blog Article: States Using Settlement Fund Legislation to Enhance Response to the Opioid Crisis ASTHO Event: Fostering Breastfeeding Equity Through Community Engagement Series

ASTHO Chief Medical Officer Dr. Marcus Plescia explains the latest thinking about how best to use case investigation and contact tracing to fight the Omicron variant; ASTHO joins several other national public health groups to issue a statement this week supporting departments should they decide to change their approach to contact tracing; ASTHO President-Elect Dr. Anne Zink says public health pivots to address current and anticipated challenges; ASTHO has released an updated version of its popular COVID-19 vaccine comparison chart; and ASTHO writes a blog listing several other public health podcasts listeners might find useful. ASTHO Statement: The Transition Away from Universal Case Investigation and Contact Tracing for Individual Cases of COVID-19 by Public Health Agencies ASTHO Issue Brief: COVID-19 Vaccine Comparison Chart ASTHO Blog Article: Seven Public Health Podcasts to Follow in 2022

ASTHO and associations representing epidemiologists, counties, cities, and public health labs issue a statement supporting jurisdictions moving away from universal case investigation and contact tracing at this point in the pandemic; Dr. Ayne Amjad, West Virginia's State Health Officer, is optimistic about the future of rural health, one of ASTHO's top ten policy issues to watch in 2022; Governors from several states joined Washington, D.C.'s mayor at a virtual congressional hearing to discuss the latest pandemic response; and ASTHO announces job openings. ASTHO Statement: The Transition Away from Universal Case Investigation and Contact Tracing for Individual Cases of COVID-19 by Public Health Agencies YouTube page: House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis ASTHO Health Policy Prospectus: Rural Health – State Investment in Healthcare Infrastructure ASTHO Blog Article: ASTHO Policy Watch – Health Equity and Rural Health ASTHO webpage: Careers at ASTHO