Smallpox is a contagious and sometimes fatal disease caused by the variola virus.  In 1980, the disease was declared eradicated following worldwide vaccination programs. However, two known samples of smallpox were kept in secure laboratories in the United States and the U.S.S.R.  With the political upheaval that dismantled the former Soviet Union and its secret bioweapons program, some people fear that terrorists or rogue nations could create weapons of mass destruction using smallpox.

There is a detailed nationwide smallpox response plan designed to vaccinate people quickly and contain a potential outbreak. Many public and private institutions are working together to implement Nebraska’s response plan. Learn about smallpox, the safety mechanisms in medical research, the risks involved in the smallpox vaccine and how the state will respond in the event of a bioterrorist attack.

Smallpox 101

Learn the basics of viruses, vaccines and the immune system. Find out how the vaccine was developed from cowpox, why people who were immunized at one time would need to be revaccinated, and what are the potential side effects.

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Intro to Virology 101
Steven H. Hinrichs, M.D.
Director, Center for Biosecurity, University of Nebraska
Director, Nebraska Public Health Laboratory
Medical Director, Clinical Microbiology, Nebraska Health System
Professor, Department of Pathology and Microbiology, UNMC

Understanding Vaccines
José R. Romero, M.D.
Interim Director, Combined Division, Pediatric Infectious Disease
Associate Professor, Pediatrics and Pathology/Microbiology, joint appointments at UNMC and Creighton University
Chief Latino Recruitment Officer for UNMC

Preventing the Spread of Smallpox
Philip W. Smith, M.D.
Professor and Chief, Section of Infectious Diseases
Department of Internal Medicine, UNMC





Panel Discussion
Moderator: David A. Crouse, Ph.D.
Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Interim Dean for Graduate Studies
Professor, Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, UNMC

 

Research: Risks, Rights and Responsibilities

Meet some members of UNMC’s Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects (IRB), who will discuss the safety mechanisms in medical research, the social and ethical issues of the smallpox vaccine and the importance of informed consent.

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Research
Ernest D. Prentice, Ph.D.
Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Regulatory Compliance, UNMC
Professor, Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, UNMC
Chairman, U.S. Secretary of Health & Human Services' Advisory Committee on Human Research Protection

Rights
Tim Kelso, J.D.
Attorney and Community Representative
Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects, UNMC




Risks
Mark E. Rupp, M.D.
Associate Professor, Section of Infectious Diseases
Department of Internal Medicine, UNMC
Medical Director, Department of Healthcare Epidemiology, Nebraska Health System



Responsibilities
Toby L. Schonfeld, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Section of Humanities and Law
Department of Preventive and Societal Medicine, UNMC




Panel Discussion
Moderator: Ernest D. Prentice, Ph.D.

Securing Nebraska's Homeland

Learn the basics of public health.  Discover how state and local agencies are working together to protect Nebraskans in the event of a bioterrorist attack. Learn about your local plan and what you can do.

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Welcome and Introduction
Lt. Governor Dave Heineman
Chairman, Nebraska Homeland Security Policy Group






The Importance of a Coordinated Local Plan
Pat Lenaghan, R.N.
Co-Chairwoman, Omaha Metropolitan Medical Response System (OMMRS)





Public Health and the Douglas County Plan
Adi M. Pour, Ph.D.
Director, Douglas County Health Department






The Nebraska Plan
Richard A. Raymond, M.D.
Chief Medical Officer
Nebraska Health and Human Services System





Panel Discussion
Moderator: David A. Crouse, Ph.D.
Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Interim Dean for Graduate Studies
Professor, Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, UNMC