ABA Annual Meeting 2016: Zika Virus

We’ve all been hearing a lot about the Zika virus in the news. Miami recently reported over 10 cases, and the virus could potentially spread throughout the United States. But why are we so intimidated by a disease that isn’t life threatening? In this report from On the Road, Thinking Like A Lawyer’s Joe Patrice interviews two Zika experts, Medical Epidemiologist Captain Ken Dominguez and Professor of Public Health Law and Ethics James Hodge. Together, they discuss why funding is the major hangup in American preparation for dealing with this virus.

Captain Kenneth L. Dominguez MD, MPH (USPHS) is an epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Captain in the U.S. Public Health Service. He completed a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, both a Medical degree and Masters in Public Health degree at Columbia University. He completed residency training in both Pediatrics and Preventive Medicine at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, California and at the CDC in Atlanta and trained as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer through CDC at the Puerto Rico Department of Health.

James G. Hodge, Jr., JD, LLM, is professor of Public Health Law and Ethics and director of the nationally-ranked Public Health Law and Policy Program at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University. Through scholarship, teaching, and applied projects, Professor Hodge delves into multiple areas of health law, public health law, global health law, ethics, and human rights. Professor Hodge has a B.S. from College of Charleston, a J.D. from Salmon P. Chase College of Law, and a LL.M. from Georgetown University Law Center.

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