"Hand Washing, Not Hand-Wringing: Preparing for H1N1" is the subject of a panel discussion hosted by TOWN HALL Los Angeles on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 at the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy in downtown Los Angeles.
The panel of experts will address how Los Angeles schools, businesses and emergency services are preparing for an outbreak. Panelists include: Robert Kim-Farley, MD, MPH, Director, Communicable Disease Control and Prevention Los Angeles County Public Health; Ronald C. Mason, CEBS, Principal, Towers Perrin - Irvine; Connie Moore, RN, BSN, MA, Director - District Nursing Services, Los Angeles Unified School District; Jeanne S. Ringel, PhD, Senior Economist, RAND Corporation; and Dr. Stanley Shapiro, Co-Chair, Regional Flu Task Force, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Infectious Diseases Physician, Hospital Epidemiologist, Kaiser Permanente Panorama City Medical Center. The panel moderator is KNBC-TV Reporter Conan Nolan.
The global outbreak of swine flu has led the World Health Organization to upgrade the flu's status to a pandemic making it the first official flu pandemic in more than 40 years. The virus first appeared last April in Mexico. The US Health experts warn that misuse of antiviral medications could make way for drug-resistant strains, thereby creating a more difficult pandemic fight. Some Tamiflu-resistant H1N1 cases have been reported recently. Trials for the H1N1 vaccine are underway and expected to be available in October.