Chapter 16 A Pandemic Flu Outbreak in New Jersey

Hunter, Nan D.

Publisher Summary In recent years, a number of books have been written about the worldwide influenza epidemic of 1918. Although medical care is much better now, mobility is also much greater, and thus there is the potential for infectious disease to spread much faster. This chapter is designed to test the knowledge of the legal concepts examined so far. Engaging with the exercise will give one a sense of strengths and weaknesses in understanding the material and will be good preparation for a final examination. The facts in the briefings and the scenario are grounded in science, but they are not intended to substitute for the most authoritative research. Obviously, the narrative and many of the details are invented. The exercise encompasses only a small number of the many issues that would arise when a real outbreak occur. While reading the scenario, it should be noted that some of the most important additional issues would be if the event actually occurred.