text: The increasing government focus on quality of care for patients provides an excellent opportunity for infection preventionists to share their expertise with policymakers. With the help of the Greater St. Louis Chapter, APIC has developed a state legislative advocacy toolkit to guide you in educating policymakers about how infection preventionists improve healthcare in their communities.
  The VIP toolkit includes:
  Tips for planning a legislative visit
  Tips for deciding which legislators to meet with
  Tips for preparing materials
  Sample planning timeline
  Sample meeting request letters
  Sample talking points
  Sample follow-up letters
  Access the VIP Advocacy Toolkit and be a Voice for Infection Prevention today!
  APIC Advocacy - Speaking with One Voice
  Join the APIC Action E-List!
  Provide us with your email address, and we'll let you know about upcoming engagements.
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  Contact Your Members of Congress
  Infection Prevention in Nursing Homes
  Contact your representatives to tell them why a full-time, certified IP is important!
  Certification is Preparation
  Evidence shows that IP certification makes hospitals safer and creates a standard level of education for the field. Contact your legislators and tell them about IP certification today!
  Support Federal Infection Prevention and Control Programs
  Contact your Members of Congress and urge them to support increased funding for key infection prevention and control programs.
  What's New in Advocacy
  Courts Pause Implementation of OSHA and CMS COVID Vaccination Mandates
  12/6/21 -- Federal Courts have suspended implementation of the OSHA COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard and the CMS Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination Interim Final Rule until the courts can review and rule on challenges to the mandates. Both agencies remain confident of their authority to implement necessary measures to protect the health and safety of workers and have appealed the court orders. Despite the court orders, APIC will provide comments to both CMS and OSHA supporting COVID-19 worker vaccination mandates. Read more about the OSHA COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing ETS and the CMS Omnibus COVID-19 health Care Staff Vaccination rule.
  FDA Expands EUA for Monoclonal Antibody Treatment to Children
  12/3/21 -- The FDA revised the emergency use authorization (EUA) of bamlanivimab and etesevimab (previously authorized for pediatric patients 12 years of age and older weighing at least 40 kilograms, or about 88 pounds), to additionally authorize bamlanivimab and etesivimab administered together for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in all younger pediatric patients, including newborns, who have a positive COVID-19 test and are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death. This revision also authorizes bamlanivimab and etesevimab, to be administered together, for post-exposure prophylaxis for prevention of COVID-19 in all pediatric patients, including newborns, at high risk of progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death. Read the FDA announcement.
  FDA Authorizes 3 OTC COVID-19 Tests
  11/23/21 -- The FDA authorized three over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 antigen diagnostic tests for people age 14 years or older with a self-collected nasal swab sample or people age 2 years or older when an adult collects the nasal swab sample. These tests are: