As summer begins to turn up the heat, you should start taking extra care to protect yourself from the sun. UV, or ultraviolet, rays have the ability to damage your skin cells and cause a variety of problems, including skin spots and skin cancer. In order to help protect yourself against UV rays, avoid being in direct sunlight for extended periods of time, especially during peak hours of daylight (10:00am and 4:00pm). Also use sunscreen that has an SPF of at least 15; be sure to reapply after swimming, toweling off, or being in the sun for more than an hour and a half.
USDA and HHS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Contact: USDA (202) 720-4623
HHS (202) 690-6343
USDA and HHS Praise Guidelines for Foodborne Disease Outbreak Response
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today commended the Council to Improve Foodborne Outbreak Response (CIFOR) for the new Guidelines for Foodborne Disease Outbreak Response. These guidelines assist local, state and federal agencies in preventing and managing foodborne disease outbreaks through planning, detection, investigation, control and prevention.
“Improving food safety is at the forefront of President Obama’s agenda, and these Guidelines will help local, state and federal agencies to prioritize prevention, strengthen surveillance and enforcement, and improve response and recovery,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Last week the Obama Administration took an important step forward by introducing tougher standards to reduce salmonella contamination and E. coli outbreaks, and the guidelines announced today will help government agencies further that goal.”
On March 14, 2009, the President created the Food Safety Working Group, co-chaired by Secretaries Vilsack and Sebelius. The working group is charged with enhancing our food safety system by building collaborative partnerships with consumers, industry and our regulatory partners.
“I would like to thank CIFOR for their hard work and for this vital contribution toward food safety reform,” said HHS Secretary Sebelius. “The guidelines show that by working together, we can all dramatically improve our food safety system and further protect the public health. We hope to further this collaborative effort through the Food Safety Working Group.”
CIFOR is a multidisciplinary working group that includes representatives of local, state and federal agencies with expertise in the fields of epidemiology, environmental health, and laboratory science. This working group, chaired by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists and the National Association of County and City Health Officials, was organized to reduce the burden of foodborne illness in the United States. USDA and HHS’ agencies, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are the federal representatives to CIFOR.
The working group released a draft version of these guidelines in June 2008, which then went through a public review and comment process.
To access the guidelines and more information about CIFOR, please visit www.cifor.us.
What is a Medical Reserve Corps?
A Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a community-based network of volunteers that assists public health efforts in times of special need or disaster, e.g. during a major communicable disease outbreak,
an earthquake, flood, fire, evacuation or an act of terrorism. Members of an MRC may also volunteer their time throughout the year in order to promote community public health and education.
What does a Medical Reserve Corps do?
MRCs bring volunteers together to supplement existing local emergency plans and resources. In order to be effective during times of emergency, volunteers must be organized and trained to work in
emergency situations. The MRC is designed to provide that organizational structure and promote appropriate training of volunteers according to local community needs and vulnerabilities.
Who volunteers for a Medical Reserve Corps?
MRCs may be comprised of any variety of individuals depending on community need. Volunteers may include, but are not limited to, current or retired health professionals (such as physicians, nurses,
mental health professionals, dentists, dental assistants, pharmacists, veterinarians), social workers, communications/public relations professionals, health care administrators, clergy, etc. Bottom line –
anyone with an interest in helping their community may volunteer in their local MRC.
