Ongoing issues with vaccine supply are focus of Friday (Jan. 28) public health broadcast
| January 26, 2005 | |
| CHAPEL HILL — The recent shortage of influenza vaccine has been headline news, bringing attention to two ongoing issues within the national public health community: the fragility of the vaccine supply system and government agencies preparedness and response.The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health broadcast series Public Health Grand Rounds centers its next program on this issue of responsibilities and resources. “Vaccine Shortages: Protecting the Public s Health Amid Strategic and Ethical Concerns” airs Friday (Jan. 28) from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. EST via satellite uplink and the Internet.
Health departments, government agencies and educational centers nationwide will offer local viewing sites via satellite downlink for those not accessing the webcast. Online registration, program information, a list of currently available sites and an archive of previous broadcasts are at www.PublicHealthGrandRounds.unc.edu. “At the crux of this program is the public health story behind the headlines: making decisions, taking actions and helping the public to understand, all in the face of both scarcity and uncertainty,” said case presenter Dr. Hugh Tilson, clinical professor of epidemiology and health policy at UNC s School of Public Health. The role of the Arkansas Department of Health and, in particular, the actions of the White County Health Unit in Searcy, Ark., in implementing an influenza vaccine plan will be featured on Friday s program. Each one-hour broadcast in the series features a case study where a local health department is often “the patient” whose case is reviewed by a panel of experts. The influenza vaccine shortage created a tremendous challenge for federal, state and local public health, said Dr. Nancy Bennett, director of the Center for Rochester s Health at the University of Rochester and deputy director of the Monroe County Department of Public Health in Rochester, N.Y. “And once again public health rose to the challenge, successfully vaccinating those at greatest risk despite the loss of half the vaccine supply.” Bennett will be a guest panelist for the broadcast; joining Tilson and Bennett on the panel will be Dr. Stephen Cochi, acting director of the National Immunization Program at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); and Dr. David Johnson, director of scientific and medical affairs at Sanofi-Aventis. Dr. William L. Roper, dean of UNC s School of Medicine and chief executive officer of the UNC Health Care System, will moderate the panel. Continuing education credit for various health professions will be available based on one hour of instruction. Viewers may submit questions to the panel at interactive satellite conference sites, by fax or online. Friday s program is the 21st in the Public Health Grand Rounds series created by UNC s School of Public Health in partnership with the CDC. Previous Public Health Grand Rounds topics have included bioterrorism, asthma, autism, genetics, breast cancer screening, disaster preparedness, West Nile virus, SARS, obesity, urban sprawl, tobacco use prevention and food safety. Past editions of the program may be viewed at www.PublicHealthGrandRounds.unc.edu. Public Health Grand Rounds is a program of the N.C. Institute for Public Health. The institute links UNC s School of Public Health with public health professionals. It directs numerous training programs and conferences, and provides consulting services to local health departments and other health organizations. The institute joins academia and the field in the latest public health initiatives such as genomics, homeland security and community design to combat obesity.
N.C. Institute for Public Health contacts: Bev Holt, (919) 966-6274 or bev_holt@unc.edu and Lisa Morris, (919) 843-9261 or lamorris@email.unc.edu For further information please contact Emily Smith either by phone at 919.966.8498 or by email at emily_smith@unc.edu |
