The Medical and Public Health Response will be held from February 3 through 5 at the La Jolla Marriott Hotel in San Diego, California.
Panelists are available for interviews prior to and during the conference.
The conference will focus on preparations underway and those that still need to be made in the Western United States, Western Canada and Northern Mexico, bringing representatives from local, state and national agencies together to discuss plans to deal with an attack. This conference will help to facilitate coordination and cooperation between agencies and organizations that have very different missions and philosophies, according to conference sponsors. As a military city located on the world s most traversed international border, it is critical that we have in place a comprehensive strategy to defend against and respond to a bioterrorist assault on our region, said San Diego County Supervisor Ron Roberts. In the event of mass casualties, local and state medical care facilities would potentially be overwhelmed. Conference sessions will include the nature of the bioterrorism threat, and address international, federal, state, and local agencies preparedness.