Emerging Issues
Stay Up-to-Date with Emerging Issues in Illinois
ICAAP is dedicated to keeping our pediatric health care provider community up-to-date on the latest issues affecting the health and well-being of children and families in Illinois. Refer to the updates and resources below to better support your response efforts.
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Communicable Diseases
H5N1 Updates
Blueprint for Pandemic Readiness
Respiratory Virus Season
Medicaid Redeterminations
Receive Important Communications
Recent Health Alerts
Here you will find relevant alerts from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), The National American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- November 20, 2024: CDPH Health Alert on a job aid for healthcare providers for Mpox diagnostic Clade I testing
- October 24, 2024: IDPH SIREN Starting November 1, 2024, OKTA will replace the IDPH Web Portal as the access point for ICARE
- October 17, 2024: IDPH Health Alert Mycoplasma pneumoniae outbreak
- October 10, 2024: AAP News Hurricane Helene causes IV fluid supply disruptions; Baxter increasing allocations
- September 30, 2024: IDPH SIREN - Increase in Pertussis Cases
- August 27, 2024: CDC Alert of Oropuche cases in the U.S. and guidance for newborns who are exposed in utero
- June 12, 2024: IDPH SIREN - Mycobacterium tuberculosis (mTB) submissions update and inclusion of susceptibility results with submitted isolates
Avian Influenza A Virus
People with close or prolonged, unprotected exposures to infected birds or other animals (including livestock), or environments contaminated by infected birds or other animals, are at risk of infection. CDC has interim recommendations for prevention, monitoring, and public health investigations of HPAI A(H5N1) viruses.
Surveillance Updates & Resources
- FDA lays out process to update bird flu vaccines in preparation for pandemic
- Current US Bird Flu CDC Situation
- CDC guidance: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus in Animals: Interim Recommendations
- CDC recommendations: For clinicians
- USDA, FDA and CDC: Update on HPAI Detections in Dairy Cattle
- AAP Healthy Families Avian Flu: Facts for Families
- National Pediatric Disaster Coalition Updates
Measles Outbreak Resources
Measles Infection Control Measures
Preventing the Spread of Measles in Healthcare Settings
As the measles remain on the rise domestically and around the globe, please be aware of the precautions your facility can take to limit the spread! Know the signs of measles so you can diagnose cases early and help patients quarantine properly; take proper patient isolation measures; follow cleaning protocol; and help educate other health care providers using our new infection control resources including:
Health Care Provider Cleaning Checklist
Maintaining the appropriate cleaning and disinfecting protocols before and after patient visits is one way to prevent the spread of measles in your facility. Use this checklist to keep you, your team, and your patients safe before, during, and after exams with patients presenting with measles symptoms.
4 Steps to Keeping Your team, Your Patients, and Yourself Safe from the Measles
Learn the symptoms of the measles, get tips on how to remotely triage suspected cases, get guidance on appropriate recommendations, and learn how to report cases to the correct parties for further investigation and source tracking with this easy reference guide.
Social Media Posts to Inspire Other Healthcare Providers
Help ensure other healthcare providers have the latest infection control information and the tools they need to diagnose, treat, and properly report cases of the measles in Illinois using our social media toolkit. Share important information on symptoms, cleaning protocol, patient prep, and more to help all Illinois providers keep our communities safe!
2024/2025 Respiratory Virus Season
Check out our Tackling Respiratory Viruses page for the latest updates on flu, COVID-19, and RSV.
Medicaid Redeterminations
Medicaid redeterminations are likely to result in many children and families losing coverage. Actions now and throughout the unwinding period will help to mitigate these coverage losses.
IL-Template Letter for Patients & Families Who Receive Medicaid
Receive Important Communications
Self-register for SIREN (State of Illinois Rapid Electronic Notification) to receive important notifications from IDPH. Select IDPH and then you can select your hospital/clinic or select IDPH > Select Organization > Expand DPH Partners List > Select DPH Pediatricians
Sign up for alerts from the CDC Emergency Preparedness and Responses.
Updates on Medicaid and coverage for children can be found on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) website.
Self-register for the Chicago Department of Public Health's Health Alert Network (HAN).
Blueprint for Pediatric-Specific Readiness in Pandemics & Disasters
This must-read report provides recommendations on how to ensure children’s physical and mental health care needs are considered in planning for pandemics, disasters and public health emergencies. Children have unique physical, mental and social needs that differ from adults, and there are opportunities to ensure these considerations are included in future pandemic and disaster planning. The recommendations in the blueprint report incorporate the results of a May 2023 online survey developed in partnership with FTI Consulting and completed by over 40 CHA members and Pediatric Pandemic Network (PPN) participants. The report also includes documented insights from a range of experts working in pediatric medicine, pediatric disaster response, pharmacy and supply chain issues and more.