The Crash of the Pandemic Wave: The Public Health Response to the H1N1 Influenza Virus

Tuesday February 16th, 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Room: Atrium Ballroom

Plenary

Session Number:

In April 2009, public health officials discovered the emergence of a novel H1N1 influenza virus. At the time, no one could fully anticipate the challenges this public health threat would impose on our nation's health and security. Ten months later, we now understand the threat of "H1N1". Since the initial outbreak, our country's public health and emergency management systems and the private sector and other critical partners, have responded to myriad challenges not only in detecting and tracking this virus as it made its way nationwide and abroad, but with the implementation of a variety of pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions in an effort to mitigate the morbidity and mortality associated with this disease. In response, state and local public health departments resuscitated the pandemic plans they had been writing, exercising, and drilling for the past few years and found that planning paid off; however, there continued to be issues and barriers that even the best plans could not have anticipated. However, there were many successes during the aftermath of H1N1— communities banded together, private industries became critical public health partners, and a deteriorating public health workforce discovered creative ways to approach the challenges of conducting mass vaccination clinics and other mechanisms for ensuring the public's health.

Panelists, moderated by one of the nation's top public health officials, will share their perspectives on the challenges of their agency's response to the H1N1 outbreak and lessons learned. The panelists will share a strategy to integrate these lessons learned with a vision for enhancing the nation's ability to prepare, respond, and recover from future events.

Opening Remarks:

Kathleen Sebelius, MPA
Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services

Read the Secretary's remarks

Moderator:

Nicole Lurie, MD, MSPH
Rear Admiral, U.S. Public Health Service
Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Department of Health and Human Services

Panelists:

Carter Mecher, MD
Director, Medical Preparedness Policy, White House Homeland Security Council

Stephen C. Redd, MD
Rear Admiral, U.S. Public Health Service
Director, Influenza Coordination Unit, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Paul Halverson, DrPH, MHSA, FACHE
President, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
Director, Arkansas Department of Health

Bruce D. Dart, PhD
President, National Association of County and City Health Officials
Health Director, Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (NE)