Dear SHEA Colleagues,
As we continue our vital work in infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship, I want to reflect on several recent developments that underscore the importance of our mission today more than ever.
The recent Senate hearing, Restoring Trust Through Radical Transparency, put the spotlight on how public health guidance can be undermined by political interference. Testimony from CDC leaders and scientific experts painted a stark picture: evidence-based recommendations were sometimes sidelined or distorted.
At SHEA, we’ve always stood for the integrity of science. Clear, transparent, and data-driven communication is foundational to public trust. And without trust, even the most effective prevention tools—vaccines, PPE, antimicrobial guidelines—can fall short. We are looking at ways to work with other medical societies and our own member experts to ensure we are ready to meet these ongoing challenges with evidence-based expert guidance and statements that support what we value and believe to be clinically prudent. We are involved in many collective initiatives and several of our special interest groups are having significant discussions on what should and could come next.
Similarly, SHEA also issued a statement in September expressing concern over Florida’s decision to remove vaccine mandates for children attending public schools. These mandates exist for a reason: they protect patients, providers, and the broader community from preventable diseases such as measles, mumps, pertussis, and varicella. This statement came before a rather disappointing ACIP meeting where our SHEA liaison participated but hadn’t been involved in any workgroup meetings prior to as it was deemed a conflict of interest. We are collaborating with partner organizations to contribute our expertise toward developing recommendations for implementing vaccine policies, particularly those aimed at protecting healthcare personnel and the patients they serve.
On a more encouraging note, the CDC recently released updated U.S. Public Health Service guidelines for the management of occupational exposure to HIV. This 2025 updated and simplify regimens, shorten follow-up timelines, and reflect the most current understanding of HIV transmission risk, particularly when source patients have undetectable viral loads. This is progress we can stand behind. Protecting healthcare personnel is a core component of safe care delivery. When our frontline colleagues are better protected, better informed, and better supported, everyone benefits.
Each of these developments remind us why our collective work matters. Infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship aren’t just technical programs. They are the scaffolding of safe, trustworthy, and equitable healthcare.
Our shared vision, Safe Healthcare for All, means:
- Reinforcing science-based decision making.
- Supporting healthcare personnel with updated, practical guidelines.
- Advocating for policies that prevent disease rather than react to it (prevention is always superior to treatment).
- Ensuring that everyone, regardless of setting or status, receives safe, high-quality health care.
I know these are challenging times. But I also know that SHEA members continue to lead with integrity, expertise, and resilience. Your work is saving lives—every day, in every setting. As it’s time to renew your membership, we hope you will continue to stay connected and ensure that these very principles are ones you can add your voice to as we work to reinforce these core principles and create education and other materials in support of these concepts. If you are at IDWeek, you’ll be able to renew your membership at the SHEA booth to ensure you don’t miss anything.
In challenging times, SHEA plans to stay focused on what matters most and ensure our members continue to have a voice at the table. We hope to see many of you at IDWeek to take comfort in the shared community of our field.
Sincerely,
David J. Weber, MD, MPH, FIDSA, FSHEA, FRSM