Health Officials Prepare for Vancouver Olympics

Canadian and U.S. health officials concluded a workshop yesterday to plan for the medical needs at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, the Victoria Times Colonist, reported today.

The workshop discussed efforts to treat the expected thousands of spectators for natural illnesses and accidents and to prepare for a biological weapons attack as well.

“We hate to think about terrorism, but we have to be prepared for that, too,” said chief medical officer Jack Taunton.

The 2006 Winter Games in Italy experienced nearly 1,300 hospitalizations and 5,600 medical encounters, the Times Colonist reported.  Organizers expect about 1.5 million spectators to visit the games, which will include 5,000 athletes and officials, 10,000 media staff and 25,000 volunteers.

“We're hoping that (the Olympics) go off without any contagious disease or anything as a result of a food-borne illness,” said Washington State Health Department Secretary Mary Selecky.  “But in the case it happens, we have to be ready to respond. Having our health departments and institutions know each other is really important” (Cindy Harnett, Victoria Times Colonist, May 16).

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