U.S. Assistant Surgeon General Dr. Anne Schuchat speaks at the Winter Forum on pandemics. Photo credit: Megan Morr

Durham, NC - Winter Forum keynote speaker U.S. Assistant Surgeon General Dr. Anne Schuchat was about to take the stage Sunday when the audience was informed that Duke President Richard H. Brodhead "had taken ill on a Duke visit to China and was hospitalized with flu-like symptoms. Some gasped. A news report flashed on the screen.

It only took a second to learn from the video that the report was fictitious. The point was made, though.

"You need to be prepared," said Schuchat, who spoke to about 160 people as part of the "Pandemic 2011: Are You Ready?" forum at Geneen Auditorium in the Fuqua School of Business. Schuchat, director of the Center for Disease Control's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases in Atlanta, touched on many issues that the undergraduates would explore in lectures and small groups over the subsequent two days. "The best defense is information and confidence in dealing with emergencies of any type."

Schuchat, who helped lead the nation's response to the H1N1 flu outbreak in 2009, said that experience provided valuable lessons about the need for preparedness planning, flexibility in how to respond to new global epidemics and clear and prompt communication. Society needs better ways to educate people on the wisdom of getting vaccinated, she added. Vaccine development must be improved.

She also cited her frustration of having to make major decisions that would affect lives and commerce when the science used to identify different flu strains, patterns and severity doesn't lend clear answers. "With flu, there are exceptions to everything," she said. "The key thing is that the flu is unpredictable."

Schuchat said she welcomed the university's focus on the topic. "We don't have all the answers," she said.

The winter forum for undergraduates, co-sponsored by the Provost's Office and the Office of Undergraduate Education, focuses on topics of global significance. Students apply to return to school before classes start in Spring Semester to spend two and a half days working with faculty delving into a topic. Last year, the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions hosted "Making the Green Economy Work." This year, Duke's Global Health Institute is running the show.

After the talk, students said Schuchat provided a strong start to the forum. "She was just a great speaker," said Nari Sohn, a junior majoring in environmental science. "In a way it was historical, but she also gave a scientific explanation of how flu spreads. She made it clear how the answers have to come from people in different fields coming together."

Sohn particularly liked the kickoff, which she believed. "I thought, ‘Oh no, what has happened to President Brodhead? But then, I'm gullible."

To keep abreast of the conference, check out the conference website, which is being updated continually.

Students Kim Gajewski, left, and Kirby Erlandson talk with CDC Rear Admiral Anne Schuchat during the Winter Forum. Photo by Megan Morr