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Category: Health

Pandemics, Politics, & Profits: Peter Hotez discusses COVID-19 

It’s not every day you get to hear from a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, but LEAP students had just that chance yesterday.  Dr. Peter Hotez, Professor of Pediatrics and Founding Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine—and, most recently, developer of a vaccine against COVID—discussed the role of expertise and politics in addressing global pandemics in another interesting event hosted by the World Affairs Council. 

Hotez has been in the trenches fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, while also conducting perhaps 1,000 television, radio, and podcast interviews since the spread of COVID.  Remarkably, he’s also had time to work with his co-researcher, Dr. Maria Elena Bottazzi, Associate Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine, in developing CORBEVEAX, a low-cost vaccine that protects against COVID.  Notably, Hotez and Bottazzi did not patent the vaccine—foregoing millions in income to assure lower pricing for the medicine.

 Hotez’s discussion was wide-ranging, but he stressed three major points: the origin of COVID, the politicization of medicine, and the future of pandemics. 

Hotez believes it’s important to uncover the origins of COVID, but he finds conspiracy theories to be misguided. While it is possible, he notes, that COVID escaped from a lab in China, there’s no evidence for that theory, and pursuing it with much vigor is likely to distract researchers from the most likely answer, which is that COVID either developed from—or was spread through—a wet market in China. 

What most clearly distresses Hotez, however, is the politicization of COVID…

…a thread skillfully navigated by the World Affairs Council moderator, Ronan O’Malley. 

While prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-vaxxers could be found on the left and right, more or less equally, the right-wing of the Republican Party seemed to embrace conspiracy theories not only about the origin of COVID, but also about almost any US government efforts to combat COVID. 

Some believed that COVID itself was a hoax wrought by the US government, while others accepted the threat of COVID, but believed that any medicine promoted by the government was part of a deep state/big pharma conspiracy for profits, leading to the misguided use of Ivermectin and other nostrums.  Hotez noted that such beliefs led to more than a quarter of a million deaths of people who could have been vaccinated, but weren’t. 

Hotez called this movement an aggressive, anti-science faction, and he considers this dangerous, not only as it relates to COVID, but also how it relates to the next pandemic.  “Nature”, Hotez noted, “is not coy. 

It’s sending us a clear message.”  That message, it seems, is humans need to get it together, which involves not only identifying the origins and spreads of viruses such as COVID-19, but also winning an informational war about science itself.  Fighting pandemics is difficult, but it’s infinitely more difficult when a significant portion of the population refuses to adopt common-sense approaches to fighting the pandemic. 

Following the event, Dr. Hotez briefly met with us, asked us about our majors (History, Biology, and Political Science), and he suggested that it was about time he get to Sam Houston State University to speak, a point on which all of us agreed. 

Meru’s Grill

Following the event, with much on our mind, we went to Meru’s Grill nearby, and we discussed much of what we learned.  None of us had been to Meru’s, but it was a great find: the staff were friendly and knowledgeable, the ambience was inviting, and the food was amazing.  The appetizers, which included the “Avocado Bomb” and the “Smoked Salmon,” were refreshing and innovative. 

The avocado bomb, for example, had raw Hawaiian Tuna, avocado (of course), a dressing, and possibly pineapple, a combination we weren’t expecting, but couldn’t get enough of.  Our appetizers included two shrimp dishes, a Thai salad, and a burger, all of which were truly excellent in both taste and presentation. 

Perhaps our favorite part of the meal, however, was the carrot cake dessert, recommended to us by our excellent server, and a truly delicious delicacy in the form of a square “slice” of cake, with icing unsurpassed in texture, flavor, and volume. 

Meru’s Grill isn’t part of the medical field, but it definitely eased our worries and improved our spirits, topping off a wonderful night of education, good company, and great food. 

  

Author mikeyawnPosted on July 8, 2022Format AsideCategories Civic Engagement, HealthTags Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Dr. Peter Hotez, LEAP Center, Sam Houston State University, SHSU, World Affairs Council HoustonLeave a comment on Pandemics, Politics, & Profits: Peter Hotez discusses COVID-19 

Volunteering for Volunteers–with the Senior Center of Walker County!

We’ve previously volunteered for the Senior Center, but only indirectly. For the past two years, we’ve assisted with “Empty Bowls,” hosted by the Wynne Home, and the proceeds from that fundraiser go to the Senior Center. But we’ve never helped directly with the good people there, and so helping the staff and board members thank the Center’s regular volunteers at their “Volunteer Appreciation Dinner” was a nice opportunity.


And while this may have been our first time to directly help the organization, the Senior Center has been helping others for the past 45 years! Help, indeed: in 2021, the organization provided more than 52,000 meals to those who are food insecure in Walker County!

Director Stacy Loll led the proceedings, we and the Junior Service League of Huntsville, and Board members Linda McKenzie, City Councilmember Jon Strong, Alice Ellisor, Robert Patteson, Ellen Willett, Karen Hewitt, Mary Douglas, Brad Davis, Bart Davis, Susan Retzlaff, Rosie Knight, and Dick Morton all assisted.


Their goal was to thank the many regular volunteers who assist the Senior Center, especially those that volunteer for the “Meals on Wheels” program.

For our part, we worked at greeting, drinks, and to a lesser extent, desserts. Our tasks were straightforward and pleasant; working with good people for a good cause is almost always pleasant!


Ms. Loll recognized various volunteers…


…and we also heard testimony to the hard work of JD Davis, who served as Board Chairman until his passing last year. His family was on hand, and the Board did a good job of honoring his service to the Senior Center, including providing a plaque to the family.


Linda McKenzie and Alice Ellisor also bought two tickets to the Isaacs, who are appearing at the Old Town Theatre. A lucky volunteer came away with a fun night of entertainment!

One unexpected delight was that we were also offered the opportunity to eat. Humphreys did a fine job with the catering, and the food, some gift bags…

…and the genuine appreciation of the Board, reflected the deep gratitude we all feel for the regular volunteers who help make the community a stronger–and better–place.

Author mikeyawnPosted on June 30, 2022Format AsideCategories Civic Engagement, Health, VolunteerTags Center for Law Engagement And Politics, LEAP, LEAP Ambassadors, LEAP Center, Meals on Wheels, Sam Houston State University, Senior Center of Walker County, SHSULeave a comment on Volunteering for Volunteers–with the Senior Center of Walker County!

Venezuelan Refugees: A health, economic, and educational crisis

Morgan Robertson

Although summer is often a time for students taking time off, Izabella (Bella) Urbani, Isabel Behm, former LEAP Ambassador Quinn Kobrin, and the LEAP Ambassadors braved the Houston summer traffic to attend The World Affairs Council Event “Combating Venezuela’s Refugee Crisis.”

We were excited to be invited to the Palm Restaurant, a nice steakhouse in downtown Houston. We ventured through the dining room and into a private room that was decorated with murals featuring scenes of Houston.

The room was full of doctors and medical professionals from Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation, Chevron employees, and interested citizens of Houston. Jessica, Saara, and I introduced Bella and Isabel to Sandija Bayot, the Chief Development Officer for WAC, and someone we can always count on for a warm greeting.

Maryanne Maldonado, the Executive Director of the World Affairs Council…

….introduced Dr. Michael Mizwa, who is the Director of Global Health, Texas Children’s Hospital, and the CEO of Baylor College of Medicine International Pediatric AIDS Initiative.

Before actually speaking on the topic, Dr. Mizwa, offered us a friendly greeting of “Go Bearkats,” and then moved to an introduction of our featured speaker: Ana Maria Galvis, the Executive Director of Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation, Colombia.

Galvis began by explaining some of the issues that Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) face. However, Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation Colombia operates somewhat differently than traditional NGOs. The program is run and operated by Colombians and, although the overall program objective is to promote health, they can’t do that without addressing related issues. Thus, they focus on four major issues: health, food, education, and nutrition.

Recently, there has been an influx of Venezuelans migrating to Columbia; many of whom require immediate or long-term medical care. The employment rate in La Guajira (a Department of Colombia0 is 26.1 % and only one-third have visas. To provide aid to the incoming Venezuelans, the current President of Colombia has offered 10-year permits. Galvis said this has helped to reduce the number of undocumented migrants, but there is still work to be done to track their medical needs.

Since the program is an NGO, it is held to a different standard than the privately funded healthcare centers. Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation Colombia offers 25 health certified services, and they have a dedication to “not just treating the illness, [but] treating the human being.”

Since 2014 the program has provided treated 12,400 patients, administered 7,000 vaccinations, and is the only NGO in Colombia authorized to provide the Covid-19 vaccination. The program has done amazing work to provide aid for the current crisis, and their approach is what we, as social science majors, also aim for: the help communities, not just individuals.

The event was enormously educational, and it also moved us out of our comfort zones, prompting us to converse with professionals over lunch, discussing topics with which we aren’t overly familiar.

It is a recipe for growth, and one we enjoyed very much.

Author mikeyawnPosted on June 11, 2022June 11, 2022Format AsideCategories Civic Engagement, Health, Law, Politics, TravelTags Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Colombia, LEAP, LEAP Ambassadors, LEAP Center, Sam Houston State University, SHSU, Venezuela, World Affairs Council HoustonLeave a comment on Venezuelan Refugees: A health, economic, and educational crisis

LEAP Center, Population Health Enjoy Expert Panel on World Health Day

Good things happen when people work together.  With that spirit in mind, the LEAP Center partnered with the Department of Population Health to attend the World Affairs Council’s panel on health, fittingly, on World Health Day, April 7, 2022, in Houston, Texas. The panel, featuring heavy health hitters such as Dr. Deborah Birx (Former White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator); Dr. Brett Giroir (16th US Assistant Secretary of Health), Michael Mizwa (CEO Baylor College of Medicine International Pediatrics AIDS Initiative), and Dr. Patricia Brock (Founder, Medical Bridges). 



With majors from population health, political science, criminal justice, and history, the students were able to learn not only from the panelists, but also from each other.

According to Yvette Mendoza, a LEAP Ambassador and a veteran of many World Affairs Council panels, “getting other students’ perspectives, especially from those students who study health, allows us to see larger parts of the puzzle.  It was interesting to see how all of our majors, in their own way, share the goal of making their communities healthier and stronger.”

The concept of collaborative service that was discussed impressed the SHSU students, and it has long resonated with Dr. Rosanne Keathley, Associate Chair of the Department of Population Health.  Indeed, in the spring of 2020, Keathley tuned in to a press conference in which Dr. Birx discussed the importance of masks, and heeding the call to service, promptly mobilized a dozen SHSU volunteers.  Working in the FACS Clothing Construction Lab, Keathley and her team collectively sewed and crafted more than 5,000 masks, providing them to campus staff, the local community, the hospital, and to others assisting in the effort to fight COVID.  “We wanted to help, and we wanted people to remain healthy, so we went to work,” noted Keathley.

Such service has long been a part of SHSU, central to the institution’s mission and its motto.  Events like these, observes Mike Yawn, Director of the Center for Law, Engagement, And Politics , “are integral to providing students professional contacts, role models, and education outside the classroom.”  For their part, the students seemed to agree: “It was incredible,” noted Mendoza, “to see so many highly-educated public officials collaborating to make the world better.”

According to the panelists, much of the progress that has occurred in medicine in the past four decades has been the result of research, development, and collaboration. Their stories—combining outreach and innovation—were alternately touching, inspirational, and sobering.  Dr. Brock spoke glowingly of American medicine, but also described going to far-flung areas of the world to train in hospitals so short of resources they were forced to reuse gloves and sutures.

Dr. Birx—who, in addition to her work on COVID-19, also served as the White House’s global AIDS coordinator for both Presidents Obama and Trump—emphasized the importance of data-driven decision making.  Such analysis, she argued, should allow agencies to work together rather than devolving into political squabbles.  And by “talking with one another” and working together, “we can save lives and make the world healthier.”

“It was an enlightening panel.” noted Yawn. “The panelists’ message of collaborative service translates very well to education, and I think it resonated deeply with our multi-disciplinary group.”

Author mikeyawnPosted on May 18, 2022Format AsideCategories Civic Engagement, Health, PoliticsTags Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Deborah Birx, LEAP, LEAP Ambassadors, LEAP Center, Rosanne Keathley, Sam Houston State University, SHSU, SHSU Population Health, World Affairs Council HoustonLeave a comment on LEAP Center, Population Health Enjoy Expert Panel on World Health Day

College and Politics

By Juan Alonso

In our sixth and final meeting in September for LEAP LEADs, we had the privilege of learning from SHSU Vice-Provost Chris Maynard and legendary Washington Post reporter (and author) Bob Woodward. The night was as entertaining as it was educational.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Dr. Chris Maynard, Jim Baker

Dr. Chris Maynard serves as Vice Provost, a position that is a mystery to most students. He attended our LEAP LEADs meeting to help de-mystify that position and to provide larger lessons about the University structure.

Dr. Maynard drew on a wealth of experience: he has been a Dean, Chair, (University of North Alabama) and a Professor (University of North Alabama and Dakota State University). The conversation with Dr. Maynard was as broad as his education and experience.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Dr. Chris Maynard, Jim Baker

He provided advice to students considering law or graduate school (“Have a game plan–make sure you pursuing goals and that those degrees fit in with those goals”) and on being successful in our chosen fields (“find successful people in our area, and learn as much as possible from them”–good advice for people doing just that in LEAP LEADs!).

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Dr. Chris Maynard, Jim Baker

He also discussed the disruption caused by COVID, from everything to changing the way we market and offer classes, to dealing with media concerns, to providing students the “University” experience. He was adamant that, despite the vexations caused by COVID, the University degree and experience is valuable and worthwhile–something with which we all agree.

We also had a chance to ask Dr. Maynard about his area of expertise: political history. And while he did discuss history (see below), he also discussed the future and the challenge we face in cybersecurity. During the Cold War, there were two super powers and their allies coalesced against each other, but there was a type of stability. Now, “a person with the right skill set and a laptop can hack into a government’s system and wreak havoc.”

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Dr. Chris Maynard, Jim Baker

Of course, we also asked many questions about the end of the Cold War and the careers of Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and James Baker. He described the different styles of Reagan and Bush, while also discussing the unique talents of James Baker, about whom we also had the pleasure of watching a Texas Tribune Festival presentation (featuring Mark Updegrove, Susan Glasser, and Peter Baker).

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Dr. Chris Maynard, Jim Baker

The discussion of these men and their accomplishments set the stage, bathed in high-contrast light, for our final event of the evening: hearing Bob Woodward discuss his new book, “Rage,” on the Trump Administration.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Bob Woodward, Donald Trump, Texas Tribune Festival

We enjoyed our dinner from Carbonero as we watched Woodward discuss the Trump Administration and the conclusions he drew from 17 separate interviews with President Trump–both before and after the COVID-19 outbreak.

Woodward’s report, which sometimes contained various expletives (all while quoting Trump administration officials), portrayed Trump as a contradictory figure. At times the President acknowledged the danger posed by COVID; other times, he seemed indifferent or dismissive of the threats it presented. And even as these important discussions were taking place, Trump, according to Woodward, would be fixated on things like photos he took with world leaders. It was an unsettling discussion, one made more unsettling by the news that broke shortly thereafter about the President contracting COVID.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Bob Woodward, Donald Trump, Texas Tribune Festival

We’ve learned quite a lot this fall, but one thing has been made most clear: all these discussions–whether on local government, University administration, national politics, or COVID–are all related.

Author mikeyawnPosted on October 7, 2020October 7, 2020Format AsideCategories Civic Engagement, Food, Health, Law, PoliticsTags Bob Woodward, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Dr. Chris Maynard, Jim Baker, LEAP Center, SHSULeave a comment on College and Politics

LEAP LEADs and Pandemic Planning

Following several meetings with guest speakers such as Commissioner Bill Daugette and (virtual) Rep. Senfronia Thompson as part of our LEAP LEADs program, our educational odyssey continued with additional training and guest speakers.

Tonight, in our fifth meeting, we began with an introduction from Ms. Fors, who provided us with tips on email etiquette and how to create an email signature block. We were reminded to (1) keep emails short unless length is absolutely necessary, (2) to use a subject heading that is accurate and telling, (3) and to ensure that the email employs good grammar and correct spelling.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, LEAP LEADS

After Ms. Fors’ extremely instructive discussion, we moved on to watch the Texas Tribune Festival’s discussion with Peter Hotez, the dean at the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and an expert in vaccine development.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, LEAP LEADs, Peter Hotez, COVID-19

As optimistic as we all were about the current COVID-19 situation, watching this talk with Hotez certainly put a damper on our hopes about the virus. Hotez shared that “vaccines may not be introduced until spring 2021” and that we are likely to have a third surge in COVID-19 cases–and that it could be even worse than before. Though this discussion wasn’t filled with the best of news, it most definitely provided us with new information to keep in mind as we continue to navigate through this new COVID lifestyle that we may begin to call “normal” pretty soon.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, LEAP LEADs, Peter Hotez, COVID-19

The highlight of our night was a Q&A with Dr. Christine Blackburn, the Assistant Research Scientist, lecturer, and Deputy Director of the Pandemic and Biosecurity and Policy Program at the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Dr. Christine Blackburn, COVID-19

During this Q&A the eight LEAP LEADs’ students were able to engage in an interactive conversation with Dr. Blackburn on her career, her advice to young people and the substantive aspects of the Coronavirus–which was very educational.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Dr. Christine Blackburn, COVID-19

We learned, for example, the 3-4 phases a vaccine must go through to become approved.

We, apparently, are nearing phase three trials, which means tightly controlled experiments on humans should begin.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Dr. Christine Blackburn, COVID-19

One of the interesting things about Dr. Blackburn is her educational background. She has an “individual interdisciplinary Ph.D.” in “Political Science, Communications, and Veterinary Science.” The idea is that, as the world becomes more specialized and silo-like, people with interdisciplinary degrees can cut across multiple domains. She persisted in this degree despite others telling her, “No one is going to hire someone with that combination of degrees.” But, of course, the ability to cut across domains is exactly what is needed in a pandemic because it affects supply chains, economics, food and, of course, health–all the while being entangled with politics.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Dr. Christine Blackburn, COVID-19

In conclusion, we asked Dr. Blackburn what her goals were and what she hopes to accomplish. She prefaced her response by saying it was a “cliche,” but that she went into her field just “hoping to make the world a better place.” And for a group of students who signed up for LEAP LEADs, in part, to make the world a better place, it was a validating answer.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Dr. Christine Blackburn, COVID-19

Finally, our eventful night ended by us getting our dinner from Farmhouse Café and talking amongst ourselves about how interesting and inspiring our talk with Dr. Blackburn was. Though it was only our fifth meeting of the semester I am excited to continue to learn and grow along side other individuals who are eager to do the same.  

Author mikeyawnPosted on October 3, 2020Format AsideCategories Civic Engagement, Food, Health, PoliticsTags Center for Law Engagement And Politics, COVID-19. Dr. Peter Hotez, Dr. Christine Blackburn, LEAP Center, SHSULeave a comment on LEAP LEADs and Pandemic Planning

LEAP LEADs: Education and Health

LEAP LEADS: Meeting Four

Our fourth LEAP LEADs meeting was, again, full of educational opportunities. As soon as everyone settled in, we jumped right in by discussing our potential future careers and practiced interviewing used the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method.

We separated into two groups: the interviewers and the interviewees. I love speaking, so I decided that I wanted to be an interviewer, and when the scenario began, I asked Jayelynn and Juan questions regarding the position of being a Victim’s Advocate.

SHSU, Sam Houston State University, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, LEAP LEADs

As we wrapped up the interview process, we learned that the STAR method is a tried and true way to make a strong impression in an interview. By sharing an example and relating it to the interview question, you can support your answers with evidence. The best part about this exercise is that we experienced how it feels to interview and be interviewed by our peers.

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While eating fantastic food from Mama Juanita’s, we tune into the Texas Tribune Festival. The discussion this tonight is about how COVID-19 affects higher education, with a panel featuring Chancellor Renu Khator from the University of Houston System, Chancellor J.B. Milliken from the University of Texas System, and John Sharp from the Texas A&M University System.

These systems are three of the most prominent university systems in Texas, so the respective chancellors wanted to address students’ and parents’ concerns about the next step for higher education. Each chancellor expressed their concerns regarding student and faculty health, and all of them explained that their schools have structured protocol if a faculty or student gets in contact with COVID-19.

The chancellors all confirmed that they were restricting their in-person classes to, at least in one case, to as low as 5% of their total classes.  They also stressed the need to be flexible and make necessary changes. It was interesting to find out that, while some Universities cancelled their football games (SHSU included) these three Universities did not. Chancellor J.B. Milliken explained, “…we will have social distancing guidelines for our stadium, and we will require fans to wear masks.”

SHSU, Sam Houston State University, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, LEAP LEADs

Lastly, we tuned into our final Texas Tribune discussion, which addressed Public Health and the 87th Legislature in Texas.

The discussion featured Representative Senfronia Thompson (D) from Houston, Texas, and Representative James Frank (R) from Wichita Falls, Texas. Representative Thompson has the honor of being the longest-serving African American woman for the Houston area since 1972.

SHSU, Sam Houston State University, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, LEAP LEADs

Representative Frank is a successful businessman in his fourth term in the Texas House of Representatives. The discussion centered around nursing homes, how they have been directly hit by COVID-19, and how the elderly are being negatively affected by the various policies and protocols in place to deal with the pandemic. Representative Thompson shared how her sister had an immediate effect on being housed at a nursing home during COVID-19, and unfortunately, she passed away due to her health conditions. While public health is currently vital in Texas, the 87th legislative session will occur on January 12, 2021.This meeting has been my favorite because I got to learn how chancellors run their university systems while learning about public health.

SHSU, Sam Houston State University, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, LEAP LEADs

 

 

 

 

 

Author mikeyawnPosted on September 27, 2020September 27, 2020Format AsideCategories Civic Engagement, Health, PoliticsTags Center for Law Engagement And Politics, LEAP Center, LEAP LEADs, Sam Houston State University, SHSULeave a comment on LEAP LEADs: Education and Health

Pandemics in 2020: A Discussion from the Scowcroft Institute

Each year, the Scowcroft Institute the Bush School hosts a summit on pandemics, which brings together experts who discuss the biggest challenges to successful responses to pandemics.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Bush School at Texas A&M University, Scowcroft Institute, Dr. Christi Blackburn, Dr. Gerald Parker, Professor Andrew Natsios, Dr. Oyewale Tomori, Pandemics

And each year, they prepare a white paper summarizing and extending the discussions at the summit.  This year, they marked the release of the White Paper with a FB Live event featuring Dr. Oyewale Tomoroi (Senior Fellow at Scowcroft Institute and Professor of Virology in Nigeria); Dr. Gerald Parker (Director for the Pandemic and Biosecurity Policy Programs at the Scowcroft Institute and administrator in many government divisions, including the Department of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services), Andrew Natsios (Executive Professor at the Scowcroft Institute; and manager of reconstruction programs in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Sudan); and moderated by Christi Blackburn (Deputy Director of the Scowcroft Institute’s Pandemic and Biosecurity Policy Program).

After introducing the guests, Dr. Blackburn…

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Bush School at Texas A&M University, Scowcroft Institute, Dr. Christi Blackburn, Dr. Gerald Parker, Professor Andrew Natsios, Dr. Oyewale Tomori, Pandemics

…posed a number of questions to the panelists.  Dr. Tomori led off, noting the importance of responding to pandemics with speed and quality information and resources, and that this is especially true in remote areas, where resources may be scarce.

Dr. Parker then tackled the thorny problem of vaccinations.  He emphasized the importance of having development and dissemination plans.  While there has been much discussion of a vaccination for COVID, vaccinations are not typically easy to develop, nor are they often developed quickly (although not discussed here, I have read that the shortest time in history for the development of a vaccine is four years).

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Bush School at Texas A&M University, Scowcroft Institute, Dr. Christi Blackburn, Dr. Gerald Parker, Professor Andrew Natsios, Dr. Oyewale Tomori, Pandemics

The keys are: (1) developing sufficient supplies, suppliers, and training to ground-level forces, and (2) distribution, which is the most difficult (“the final mile is the hardest”).  In the latter phase, Parker emphasized that vaccines are distributed all at once.  Vaccines have to be developed, and the supplies take time to get to everyone, so who gets the vaccine first?  Parker suggests, of course, health care workers, but a whole prioritization list needs to be developed for the entire rollout.  Also key is a plan by developed countries to get the vaccine to less wealthy countries, something that is both logistically difficult and sometimes politically fraught.

Professor Natsios elaborated on this with some interesting facts. First, he noted that the Russians were active on social media, using bots to spread messages both pro and con for vaccinations.  They know that, in a democracy, if you can confuse people to what the truth is, you can thrown democratic processes into confusion.  Further, polls show that approximately 30-50 percent of Americans indicate they are hesitant to avail themselves of a COVID vaccination.

The solution, according to Natsios, is to work with local leaders–religious, community, medical, even sports–and do publicity campaigns for vaccinations.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Bush School at Texas A&M University, Scowcroft Institute, Dr. Christi Blackburn, Dr. Gerald Parker, Professor Andrew Natsios, Dr. Oyewale Tomori, Pandemics

Dr. Blackburn switched topics, going to how to develop effective early warning systems in pandemics.  Natsios, who had extensive experience with detecting and responding to famines from his government days, also fielded this topic.

Noting that satellite photos could determine crop health and allow advance warnings for famines, Natsios pointed out that the same tools can be used for pandemics.  In a fascinating discussion, he pointed out that satellite photos of Wuhan, China from August of last year show increased vehicular ( (a measure that includes bicycles) occupancy in China hospitals.  Intelligence agencies have complemented this with social media content analysis, which shows a significant uptick in questions about symptoms–symptoms correlating strongly with those produced by COVID–at the same time.  The conclusion, of course, is that COVID was probably hitting Wuhan in August of last year, before the world–and probably even China–knew about it.  These remote sensing tools (which include monitor of cemetery and crematoria activity) can be useful in detecting pandemics early.

Natsios concluded by emphasizing the importance of early detection, noting that if the pandemic is caught in time, its contagion can be extraordinarily curtailed.

Dr. Blackburn then fielded questions from the audience, which included:

    • Is there a single agency in charge of biosecurity?
      • No, although one is desperately needed.  Both Parker and Natsios agreed that, unless a directive was sent straight from the White House, most agencies wouldn’t implement with the efficiency needed, often because of interdepartmental conflicts.  The discussion of interdepartmental conflicts–conflicts which apparently included Parker and Natsios while they were in different departments, let to some humorous recollections.SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Bush School at Texas A&M University, Scowcroft Institute, Dr. Christi Blackburn, Dr. Gerald Parker, Professor Andrew Natsios, Dr. Oyewale Tomori, Pandemics
    • How do we balance Technology and Privacy?
      • Although this wasn’t answered directly, the information provided was interesting.  Natsios noted that Germany had very good privacy laws, but shifted topics somewhat by noting that the US had a “frontier mentality,” which affected its balancing of individual vs. collective rights.  Because of this “frontier mentality,” many argue that the government has no right to ask them to wear a mask–a belief contradicted by court rulings dating back to at least 1820.
    • How do we deal with unknown pandemics?
      • All agreed that all pandemics are unknown–even if they come from known diseases, they are often a mutated or novel version.  The panel agreed on increased spending, and, perhaps befitting employees of Texas A&M, home of one of the best Veterinary Schools in the US–suggested the importance of studying zoonotic diseases.  Natsios noted that 70 percent of the new diseases in the past 40 years have come from animals, with HIV being, obviously, the most notable example.

This fascinating and timely discussion can be viewed here in its entirety and the white paper can be found here.  Thanks again to the Bush School for its wonderful programming!

 

 

 

Author mikeyawnPosted on July 26, 2020Format AsideCategories Civic Engagement, Health, PoliticsTags Bush School at Texas A&M University, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Dr. Christi Blackburn, Dr. Gerald Parker, Dr. Oyewale Tomori, LEAP Center, Pandemics, Professor Andrew Natsios, Scowcroft Institute, SHSULeave a comment on Pandemics in 2020: A Discussion from the Scowcroft Institute

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