Advocacy

IDSA Rallies Support for PASTEUR Act: PIDS was among over 40 organizations in a recent IDSA letter supporting a bill backing antibiotic research, development and stewardship.

Support for the Strategies to Address Antimicrobial Resistance (STAAR) Act

A letter of thanks to Representatives Lance and Kennedy for authoring the Eliminating Opioid Related Infectious Diseases Act

The support from NIH is greatly appreciated – however, more needs to be done to combat the concurrent epidemics and to address outstanding research gaps

Deep concern regarding the serious threat antimicrobial resistant pathogens pose to American health and national security

PIDS opposes legislation or regulations that would allow children to be exempted from school and childcare immunization requirements based on their parents’ personal or religious beliefs (non-medical exemptions)

The decision to withhold vaccinations against seasonal influenza from migrants in border detention facilities is a violation of the most basic principles of public health and human rights

We call for the immediate end to this violation of human rights

Penicillin skin testing is essential for eliminating the increased morbidity and costs associated with a false label of penicillin allergy

President Trump’s announcement that he will suspend funding to the World Health Organization is against all of our best interests

We support authorizing state-licensed pharmacists to order and administer vaccines for children

PIDS, IDSA, and HIVMA urge VRBPAC to follow strict criteria and ensure transparent review of COVID-19 vaccine candidates ahead of its Oct. 22 meeting.

IDSA, HIVMA, PIDS and the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene express concern about a coronavirus-focused NIH grant’s termination.

Stakeholders highlight the need to address AMR as part of broader preparedness efforts.

IDSA, HIVMA, SHEA & PIDS recommend policies to increase immunization rates.

IDSA, HIVMA, PIDS and SHEA call on the Department of Homeland Security to exempt physicians working in the United States on J-1 visas from the agency’s proposed rule in comments expressing deep concerns about the limits the change would impose.

PIDS and other organizations commend HHS and DOD on significant efforts related to Operation Warp Speed (OWS) being made to prepare for deployment of one or more safe and effective vaccines for the SARS-CoV-2 virus and to offer recommendations for maximum vaccine uptake.

IDSA, HIVMA, SIDP, SHEA, and PIDS urge the White House to rescind Executive Order that strips protections of civil service workforce.

PIDS, IDSA, HIVMA, SHEA, and SIDP call on the White House administration to immediately rescind the Executive Order on Combating Racism and Sex Stereotyping.

PIDS, along with other organizational members of the Stakeholder Forum on Antimicrobial Resistance (S-FAR), urge Acting HHS Secretary Norris Cochran to make antimicrobial resistance (AMR) a priority for the G7.

The Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society and Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America condemn the horrific killings of eight Atlanta residents in attacks on women of Asian descent.

PIDS supports the universal removal of the term “red man syndrome,” a term previously used to describe the syndrome of histamine release caused by rapid infusion of vancomycin, and the erythematous flushing that results in patients with light skin. PIDS supports the universal removal of the slur, and recommends replacing it with “vancomycin flushing syndrome”.

The Biden Administration’s pledge of medical aid for India to combat the country’s surge of COVID-19 shows an important commitment to tackling the pandemic as a shared crisis. As societies of physicians, pharmacists, scientists, public health professionals and other health providers working to prevent, detect and respond to infectious diseases, we thank President Biden for providing direction and resources for the work ahead.

PIDS joins the American Society of Transplantation, International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, and other organizations in a Statement on COVID-19 Vaccination in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients. The statement urges pre-transplant vaccination of all SOT candidates as a priority whenever feasible, continued SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in SOT recipients and priority for vaccination of their household and caregivers to reduce exposure risk for these vulnerable patients and more. Please read the full statement.

PIDS joined the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) on a letter to House Appropriations Committee leaders cautioning against adopting policy changes absent scientific evidence and urging them to reject attempts to impose restrictions on federally funded research or the operations of federal science agencies based on premature conclusions about how the pandemic emerged.

PIDS are specialists in the care of children with infectious diseases, including vaccine-preventable diseases. We have seen the devastating and sometimes fatal consequences of pneumonia, bloodstream infections, meningitis, infectious diarrhea, and most recently, COVID-19, in our patients.

This consensus statement by SHEA and AMDA, APIC, HIVMA, IDSA, PIDS, and SIDP recommends that COVID-19 vaccination should be a condition of employment for all healthcare personnel.

Due to the recent COVID-19 surge and the availability of safe and effective vaccines, our health care organizations and societies advocate that all health care and long-term care employers require their workers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS) is an organization of healthcare professionals dedicated to the treatment, control, and eradication of infectious diseases affecting children. Since March of 2020, our members have supported children through the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying effective strategies for both treatment and prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection.