Months after the CDC eliminated its infection control committee, two epidemiology organizations have created the Healthcare Infection Prevention Advisory Group.
The two organizations, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, said in a Dec. 2 news release that the advisory group will fill gaps formed by the May termination of the CDC’s Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee.
The government established the CDC group, HICPAC, in 1991. The committee consisted of leaders in federal health, hospitals and medical associations. It crafted national standards on best strategies and practices for preventing and controlling antimicrobial resistance and infections in healthcare. During its run, HICPAC made 540 recommendations — 90% of which were fully implemented, NBC News reported May 6.
Here are three things to know about the new Healthcare Infection Prevention Advisory Group:
1. The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America said it is “intended to prevent fragmented or duplicative efforts, promote alignment and strengthen collaboration by connecting subject matter experts across disciplines and care settings.”
2. The group is inviting experts from medical societies, healthcare organizations, public health societies and patient advocacy groups to join the initiative.
3. The final structure and membership will happen in the coming weeks, “along with a coordinated communication and engagement plan,” according to the release.
Similarly, the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and The New England Journal of Medicine created a CDC-esque publication in October. The publication reports on outbreaks and emerging diseases as an alternative to the CDC’s Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report.
CIDRAP also launched the Vaccine Integrity Project to consult with national medical organizations to create vaccine recommendations — a role long performed by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. ACIP barred public health professionals and infectious disease experts from its working groups earlier in 2025.
