Influenza Threat to Take Center Stage at TMA Distinguished Speaker Event

Physician Experts to Address Texas Approach to Influenza Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Top physician public health experts will address Texas plan to combat influenza this flu season at Preparing for Texas Next Great Public Health Emergency: Influenza the next installment of the Texas Medical Association (TMA) distinguished speaker series. This marks TMAs second Distinguished Speaker Series presentation designed to inform Texas legislators and their staff members about urgent health issues in Texas. Texas Health Commissioner John Hellerstedt MD will recap the impact of flu on Texas last year and provide flu season projections for 2019. He also will describe the potential Texas hotspots for disease outbreaks because of the number of vaccine exemptions in those areas. Philip Huang MD will describe the Spanish Flu epidemic which happened 100 years ago this year. He also will cite what happens in a flu pandemic such as the H1N1 event. Researcher Chris Perkins will detail recent poll results showing Republican primary voters overwhelmingly support vaccinations. October 1 marks the traditional time each year when flu cases spike against a backdrop of Texas budget cuts in public health and prevention programs. Will the state be ready if many people fall ill this flu season?

• WHEN: Monday Oct. 1 Noon-1:30 pm
• WHERE: TMA building 401 W. 15th St. Thompson Auditorium first floor
• WHO/AGENDA: Noon Welcome/Introduction John Carlo MD chair Texas Public Health Coalition; CEO Prism Health North Texas 12:10 pm Republican Primary Voters Immunization Survey Chris Perkins partner Ragnar Research Partners Influenza: Are We Ready? John Hellerstedt MD commissioner Texas Department of State Health Services Lessons from H1N1 Philip Huang MD member TMA Council on Science and Public Health Panel Questions and Answers Dr. Hellerstedt Dr. Huang and Mr. Perkins 1:25 pm Closing Remarks Dr. Carlo

TMAs Distinguished Speaker series is supported by the TMA Foundation TMAs philanthropic arm. TMA Foundation raises funds to support the public health and science priority initiatives of TMA and the family of medicine. To learn more visit the TMA Foundation website. TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation representing more than 51000 physician and medical student members. It is located in Austin and has 110 component county medical societies around the state. TMAs key objective since 1853 is to improve the health of all Texans.