First responders to get training in infectious disease safety
A training program will help approximately 35,000 first responders and workers whose jobs may expose them to infectious diseases protect themselves while also minimizing the spread of disease to others. The three-year, $9 million program is being launched by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other federal agencies.
"A few years ago, very few of us had heard of diseases like Ebola or Zika," said Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D., NIEHS director. "We need to ensure that we have a workforce ready to contain these and the next infectious disease threats. This new training program will help workers, who do so much to protect others, stay safe when working with patients or people in high risk situations."