Philadelphia Health Commissioner Walter Tsou admitted Tuesday that the city is not prepared for the event of a large scale biological attack.
As part of a panel discussion on bioterrorism held in Dunlap Auditorium, Tsou said that recent anthrax scares are already taxing Philadelphia's resources, and the city simply could not handle a threat of greater magnitude.
"If there were a large episode, we would be greatly overwhelmed," he said.
The panel provided educated discussion on topics including the development of biologically engineered weapons, the logistics of vaccination against infectious diseases and the preparedness of public health facilities.
The Center for Bioethics and the Undergraduate Bioethics Club sponsored the conference, which included 11 local panelists, ranging from Tsou to a sociology professor.
Arthur Caplan, the director of the bioethics center, called the conference "timely and important" in light of recent anthrax scares in the United States.
All of the panelists emphasized both the costs and benefits of researching the genetic structures of infectious diseases.
"The same knowledge that might make it possible to create weapons is the same knowledge that we need to combat disease," said panelist David Magnus, a professor at the Center for Bioethics.
School of Medicine Professor and panelist David Weiner stressed that bioterrorism is "a legitimate threat," as 17 countries possess the technology necessary to create biological weapons.
Other panelists raised concerns that although bioterrorism does pose a serious danger, the country is unprepared in case of an attack.
Panelist Brian Strom, a professor in the School of Medicine, recommended vaccination against such pathological agents as smallpox, but cautioned that for the government, "prevention has never been a priority."
Overall, those in attendance felt that the conference accomplished its goal of providing clear and accurate information about the risks of bioterrorism.
President of the Undergraduate Bioethics Club and College senior Kenji Saito said that the conference was a "clear educational way for students to get this information at the undergraduate level."
Despite the relevance and significance of the information presented at the conference, attendance was smaller than expected, with roughly 100 attendees scattered throughout the auditorium, which has a capacity of 500.
Saito said that the Penn Undergraduate Bioethics Club was "proud" of its role in organizing the conference. The club, founded last year for the purpose of educating students about the moral dilemmas that arise with biotechnological advances, is the first of its type at an Ivy League institution.
