On November 10, the MCM workgroup held its fifth monthly call of the project year. On the call, a representative from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of the Strategic National Stockpile spoke about a new mass dispensing training course that is under development. MCM workgroup members were asked to review the course in order for continuing education credits to be offered to those that complete the course on the TRAIN website in the future. A variety of other free online training courses are offered for public health professionals through the TRAIN website.

The MCM workgroup continued the review of the MCM Toolkit which contains tools and resources to assist local health departments with MCM distribution and dispensing planning. As part of the review, the MCM workgroup has asked those that have submitted old MCM-related tools to the former Stockbox toolkit or those that would like to submit new, innovative, and useful tools to contact [email protected] (click here for more details).

The MCM workgroup discussed the update of the NACCHO smallpox policy statement and hoped to incorporate new recommendations for the CDC to develop updated guidance that is reflective of the currently available smallpox MCMs housed within the SNS. Workgroup members were also given further instructions for their role as reviewers in NACCHO’s annual Model Practice Review process.

Workgroup members concluded the call by discussing the Ebola response in their jurisdictions. A variety of themes emerged including an increased burden of work with conducting active monitoring of returning travelers from West Africa, personal protective equipment supply issues at hospitals, and mass care needs for those undergoing isolation or quarantine orders. The next call will be on December 8.