The man who in spent 10 years directing the World Health Organizations
global smallpox eradication campaign, Donald A. Henderson, M.D., will be
at the University of Nebraska Medical Center Thursday, Feb. 27, to
present the 21st John S. Latta Lectureship, sponsored by the UNMC College
of Medicine Alumni Association.
His presentation is titled “Implementing Smallpox Vaccination Strategy:
Lessons from History. Dr. Henderson currently serves as senior science
advisor to the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services.
“Dr. Henderson is internationally known for his work, in public health
and eradication of smallpox around the world,” said UNMC Chancellor Harold
M. Maurer, M.D. “Since 9/11 he has been the nation’s leader under HHS Secretary
Tommy Thompson in preparing the United States to combat any potential bioterrorist
event involving weapons of mass destruction. We are truly honored to have
him visit campus and share his knowledge and insight in the fight against
bioterrorism.”
UNMC has been fortunate to bring such distinguished speakers to the
campus for the annual Latta Lecture series, said Gordon Todd, Ph.D., chairman
of the Latta Lecture committee. Dr. Henderson is yet another outstanding
speaker weve been fortunate to attract and we look forward to his visit.
Dr. Henderson recently invited Dr. Maurer and Steve Hinrichs, M.D.,
director of the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory, to present UNMCs model
of bioterrorism preparedness to the Public Health Preparedness Council.
Dr. Henderson serves as chair of the HHSs Secretary’s Council on Public
Health Preparedness. The council coordinates national responses to public
health emergencies. Ours was the only one discussed, and Steve and I heard
such phrases as brilliant and inspirational, Dr. Maurer said.
Smallpox outbreaks have occurred from time to time for thousands of
years, but the disease is now eradicated after a successful worldwide vaccination
program. The last case of smallpox in the United States was in 1949. The
last naturally occurring case in the world was in Somalia in 1977. After
the disease was eliminated from the world, routine vaccination against
smallpox among the general public was stopped because it was no longer
necessary for prevention.
Dr. Henderson is presently on leave from serving as Johns Hopkins University
Distinguished Service Professor. From November 2001 to May 2002, he was
director of the Office of Public Health Preparedness, Office of the Secretary,
Department of Health and Human Services. From 1998-2001, he served as founding
director of Johns Hopkins Center for Civilian Biodefense Studies.
A native of Lakewood, Ohio, Dr. Henderson rejoined the Hopkins faculty
in June 1995 after five years of federal government service in which he
served initially as associate director of the Office of Science and Technology
Policy, Executive Office of the President (1990-1993) and later as deputy
assistant secretary and senior
science advisor in the Department of Health and Human Services.
From 1977 through August 1990, Dr. Henderson was dean of the Faculty
of the School of Public Health. He went to Hopkins after serving 10 years
as chief medical officer for WHOs global smallpox eradication campaign
(1966-76). Dr. Henderson was instrumental in 1974 in initiating WHO’s global
program of immunization, which is now vaccinating 80 percent of the world’s
children against six major diseases and has a goal of eradicating of poliomyelitis.
The Latta Lecture is named after the late John S. Latta, M.D. Dr. Latta
taught courses in embryology and histology at UNMC from 1921 until 1963.
The chairman of the department of anatomy from 1940 to 1960, Dr. Latta
earned the Distinguished Teaching Award from the University of Nebraska
Foundation in 1957. In 1980, the UNMC College of Medicine Alumni Association
established the John S. Latta Lectureship to commemorate his service to
the college. Dr. Latta died in 1989 at age 94.