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P8793  Social and policy implications of bioterrorism and other weapons of mass destruction

This course is designed to explore the social and policy implications of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) with a focus on bioterrorism. The class will examine WMD from historical, cultural, health policy and legal perspectives. The course will integrate aspects of WMD in a broad social and public health context. Topics to be discussed include epidemiological surveillance, recognition, prevention, treatment, and public health considerations of mass casualty events, including triage, site management and remediation, and workforce surge capacity. The legal and ethical aspects of quarantine, mass prophylaxis, and mass vaccination are also discussed. More current topics, such as emergency planning at the individual and organizational level, including family emergency planning, business continuity planning, and local/state/federal communication and coordination, are also considered. Aspects of risk communication are reviewed. Vulnerable populations (i.e., medically underserved, aging, homeless, chronically ill, etc) and the risk and impact of WMDs with respect to these populations are discussed. Guest faculty lectures provide an interdisciplinary approach to the subject. Source materials include a wide range of materials provided to students along with resources for additional study. Participation in class discussions on the topics assigned each week. Final term paper.

3 points