The CDC on Thursday announced plans to hold a teaching session to prepare health professionals for a public response to a possible nuclear detonation crisis, according to a report from STAT.
Here are five things to know.
1. The CDC announcement comes as national news pundits weigh the possibility of nuclear conflict between the United States and North Korea. On Tuesday, President Donald Trump tweeted about "nuclear button[s]," which spurred rebuke and some support on social media regarding the president's aggressive prodding of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, according to a report from The New York Times.
2. While tensions about a potential nuclear attack are rising, the event — scheduled for Jan. 16 — has reportedly been in the works since CDC officials participated in a nuclear incident exercise hosted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency last April, a CDC spokesperson told STAT.
"CDC participants felt it would be a good way to discuss public health preparedness and share resources with states and other partners," CDC's Kathy Harben told STAT via email. "State and local partners also have expressed interest in this topic over time."
3. The event is meant to educate physicians, nurses, epidemiologists, pharmacists, veterinarians, certified health education specialists, laboratory scientists and other health and science professionals on public emergency response in the event of a nuclear detonation.
4. In a CDC email to targeted individuals, the agency said, "Join us for this session of Grand Rounds to learn what public health programs have done on a federal, state and local level to prepare for a nuclear detonation … Learn how planning and preparation efforts for a nuclear detonation are similar and different from other emergency response planning efforts."
5. The CDC hosts grand rounds teaching events on a near-monthly basis on various topics. The agency previously hosted a grand rounds event on nuclear disaster preparedness in 2010, according to STAT. The Jan. 16 event will be broadcast over the internet and later posted to the agency's grand rounds archive page.
To learn more about the event, click here.
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