The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will support the simultaneous development of individual vaccine candidates against Marburg virus and Sudan ebolavirus infections. Together, these vaccine candidates will represent key enhancements in the U.S. preparedness posture for the potential public health and biodefense threats posed by these viruses.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary of Preparedness and Response (ASPR) awarded $6 million to support the creation of two Pediatric Disaster Care Centers of Excellence as a pilot project to improve disaster response capabilities for children in the United States.
FLIR Systems Inc. announced it has won an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract worth up to $35.1 million with the U.S. Army to deliver a new version of the company’s Agentase™ C2 chemical agent disclosure spray to detect sulfur mustard, a highly toxic chemical warfare agent. FLIR Agentase C2 spray quickly changes color on a surface if a chemical warfare agent is present.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the approval of Jynneos Smallpox and Monkeypox Vaccine, Live, Non-Replicating, for the prevention of smallpox and monkeypox disease in adults 18 years of age and older determined to be at high risk for smallpox or monkeypox infection. This vaccine is also part of the Strategic National Stockpile.
Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Kevin K. McAleenan announces the new DHS Strategic Framework for Combating Terrorism and Targeted Violence. The strategic framework offers a vision to expand DHS’s counterterrorism mission to face modern threats, at home and abroad, by implementing proven, whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released the updated National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP) – the nation’s roadmap to ensuring emergency communications interoperability at all levels of government. The NECP was updated to address the current gaps within emergency communications, reflect new and emerging technological advancements, and provide guidance to drive the nation towards a common end-state for communications.
The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) has designated the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Center for Global Health as a PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centre for Biosafety and Biosecurity. The CDC will assist PAHO/WHO in their efforts to help countries safely handle and contain dangerous diseases, such as Ebola, influenza, and polio.
FLIR Systems Inc. announced the FLIR MUVE™ C360, the industry’s first multi-gas detector specifically built for unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The MUVE C360 will transform how emergency response teams approach chemical, industrial, or environmental incidents by providing a new level of safety, dramatically reducing time to action, and delivering a more complete assessment in situations where every second counts.
The President signed an executive order modernizing and expanding sanctions to combat terrorism. This executive order – the most significant update of terrorism designation authorities since the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks – enhances the United States’ ability to target and deprive terrorists and their enablers of financial, material, and logistical support worldwide.
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have demonstrated a new type of sensor that uses atoms to receive commonly used communications signals. This atom-based receiver has the potential to be smaller and work better in noisy environments than conventional radio receivers, among other possible advantages.
