Category: infectious disease
Fulfilling the Decade of Vaccines Vision

As 2014 draws to a close, one theme that has been continuously present is the importance of a strong public health infrastructure in a country to effectively protect against vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs). Universal access to immunization is the Decade of Vaccines vision, and in order to achieve this, more efforts are needed to build upon the Read More >
Posted on byA Day in Liberia — John Logan Town

I am not a morning person. In a typical week, it takes a long shower and a cup or two of coffee before I hit my stride. This was not the case for me on October 30th. I sprung out of bed at 5:00am and was ready to start the day’s mission. We were heading Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsTom Frieden: What I’m Thankful For

This blog was originally posted on Time.com on November 20, 2014 This Thanksgiving Day, 170 CDC disease detectives, public health experts, and communication specialists will not be home celebrating with loved ones. They’ll be in West Africa, working to contain the Ebola epidemic. Some of them are deep in remote areas, far from the Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsPreparedness Workshops Help At-Risk Countries Prepare for Ebola

A recent news story in Bloomberg Businessweek proclaims “How to Avert an Ebola Nightmare: Lessons from Nigeria’s Victory.” The article outlines the remarkable achievement of Nigeria’s Ministry of Health with partners, including CDC, to contain the spread of Ebola in that country. Now declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organization (WHO), Nigeria stands as a Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsGet to know a STOPper

In honor of World Polio Day, the polio communications team sat down with the lead of the CDC Global Immunization Division’s STOP team Yinka Kerr for a little Q & A. Q: Yinka, how did you become involved in the global initiative to end polio? Yinka: I started in polio in 1997 when I Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsCDC Director: Why I don’t support a travel ban to combat Ebola outbreak

This blog was originally posted on Fox News on October 9, 2014. The first case of Ebola diagnosed in the United States has caused some to call on the United States to ban travel for anyone from the countries in West Africa facing the worst of the Ebola epidemic. That response is understandable. Read More >
Posted on by 20 CommentsEbola Requires the World’s United Action

This blog is cross-posted on the White House website. The nations of the world, along with key international organizations, gather at the White House today to advance a Global Health Security Agenda that will help keep the world safe from infectious disease threats. This meeting is a critical opportunity to increase international commitment and, more Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentWhat is Rabies?

Most people in the United States know rabies as a rare and terrifying disease, ending in almost certain death. However, it’s not usually something they think about, except when the reminder card arrives from their veterinarian that their pet needs Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsWhat it’s REALLY like fighting Ebola in Liberia

This blog was originally posted on the ONE.org on September 11, 2014. During my time in Liberia, I have tried not to provide much detail to my family about the day-to-day work we are doing. I don’t want to cause alarm or propagate fear; conditions in Monrovia can at times be deeply troubling. Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsThe High Stakes in Fighting Ebola: Leave One Burning Ember and the Epidemic Could Re-Ignite

This blog was originally posted on the Huffington Post on August 7, 2014. CDC and our partners are currently fighting the biggest and most complex outbreak of Ebola virus disease ever recorded. There are hundreds of cases in West Africa and now a new cluster of cases in Nigeria is very concerning. The Read More >
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