Stephan Monroe, PhD, has been appointed CDC's first associate director for laboratory science and safety. He has served as acting associate director for laboratory science and safety since May 2015. Reporting to the CDC director, he will lead agency-wide laboratory science and safety initiatives and improvement efforts, including high-level oversight and coordination of critical laboratory policies and operations that emphasize laboratory safety and quality management.

Original title: “Stephan Monroe Named CDC Associate Director for Laboratory Science and Safety - Media Statement”

Effective Sept. 3, 2015, CDC has downgraded the travel notice for Ebola in Liberia to a Watch Level 1, which means CDC recommends U.S. residents practice usual precautions when traveling to Liberia. Travel notices are designed to inform travelers and clinicians about current health issues related to specific destinations.

Original title: “Liberia Travel Alert Revised from Level 2 to Level 1: "Practice Usual Precautions" - Media Statement”

High school athletes who play on sports teams smoke tobacco products at a lower rate than non-athletes, but use smokeless tobacco at a higher rate, according to a study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in today's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

Original title: “High school athletes using smokeless tobacco more than non-athletes - Press Release”

Transcript for CDC Telebriefing:Most Americans' hearts are older than their age

Original title: “Transcript for CDC Telebriefing: Most Americans' hearts are older than their age - Transcript”

A majority of U.S. adults have a heart age that is older than their chronological age-evidence that they could be at greater risk for heart attacks and stroke.

Original title: “Analyzing America's Heart Age - Digital Press Kit”

Your heart may be older than you are - and that's not good. According to a new CDC Vital Signs report, 3 out of 4 U.S. adults have a predicted heart age that is older than their actual age. This means they are at higher risk for heart attacks and stroke.

Original title: “Most Americans' hearts are older than their age - Press Release”

Your heart may be older than you are - and that's not good. This new CDC Vital Signs report shows that heart age varies by race/ethnicity, gender, region, and other sociodemographic characteristics.

Original title: “CDC Telebriefing: New Vital Signs Report - Heart age: Is your heart older than you? - Media Advisory”

CDC hosted a media telebriefing to discuss estimates of vaccine exemption levels among children entering kindergarten for the 2014-2015 school year. The telebriefing also covered data from the 2014 National Immunization Survey, which details vaccination coverage estimates among children ages 19 through 35 months.

Original title: “Transcript for CDC Telebriefing: CDC officials to discuss vaccine exemption levels and infant vaccination coverage”

Vaccine exemption levels for kindergarteners are low for most states and infant vaccination rates are high nationally, according to data from two reports published in this week's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

Original title: “State exemption levels low, national vaccination rates high - Press Release”

Most schools in the U.S. are implementing healthy practices to help meet federal school meal standards by offering whole grains, more fruits and vegetables, and reducing sodium content, according to data published today in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Original title: “America's schools make positive changes to create healthier school meals - Press Release”

CDC will host a media telebriefing to discuss estimates of vaccine exemption levels among children entering kindergarten for the 2014-2015 school year.

Original title: “CDC Telebriefing: CDC officials to discuss vaccine exemption levels and infant vaccination coverage - Media Advisory”

Almost all of the 41 million estimated contact lens wearers in the United States may be engaging in at least one behavior known to increase their risk of eye infections, according to a report published today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Original title: “Nearly all contact lens wearers in national survey report risky eye care behaviors that can lead to eye infections - Press Release”

Since 1998, ICEID has brought together international scientists and public health professionals to foster an exchange of innovative research and ideas on emerging infectious disease topics.

Original title: “Emerging Infectious Diseases Conference to Draw Scientists to Atlanta - Media Advisory”

CDC is unveiling an interactive tool that makes it quicker and easier to see how antibiotic resistance for four bacteria transmitted commonly through food-Campylobacter, E. coli O157, Salmonella, and Shigella-has changed during the past 18 years.

Original title: “New CDC tool illustrates changes in antibiotic resistance - Media Advisory”

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today launched an annual challenge designed to identify and honor clinicians and health care teams that have helped their patients control high blood pressure and prevent heart attacks and strokes.

Original title: “Million Hearts launches annual blood pressure control challenge - Press Release”

Fewer than 1 in 5 middle and high schools in the U.S. began the school day at the recommended 8:30 AM start time or later during the 2011-2012 school year, according to data published today in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Original title: “Most US middle and high schools start the school day too early - Press Release”

The latest CDC Vital Signs report includes mathematical modeling showing that the spread of drug-resistant infections and Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) will increase without immediate improvements in infection control and antibiotic prescribing.

Original title: “Transcript for CDC Telebriefing: With improved infection control, how many antibiotic-resistant related infections and deaths does CDC predict could be averted in 5 years? - Transcript”

The latest CDC Vital Signs includes mathematical modeling that projects increases in drug-resistant infections and Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) without immediate, nationwide improvements in infection control and antibiotic prescribing.

Original title: “CDC modeling projects growth of drug-resistant infections and C. difficile - Press Release”

We're at a tipping point: an increasing number of germs no longer respond to the drugs designed to kill them. The latest CDC Vital Signs report includes mathematical modeling showing that the spread of drug-resistant infections and Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) will increase without immediate improvements in infection control and antibiotic prescribing.

Original title: “CDC Telebriefing: New Vital Signs Report - With improved infection control, how many antibiotic-resistant related infections and deaths does CDC predict could be averted in 5 years? - Media Advisory”

The number of 13- to 17-year-old boys and girls getting the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine increased slightly for the second year in a row, according to data from CDC's 2014 National Immunization Survey-Teen (NIS-Teen), published in this week's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

Original title: “Many adolescents still not getting HPV vaccine - Press Release”