The Return of the Preventable: Regional U.S. Perspectives on Pediatric Disease Resurgence in ENT

Monday, October 19, 2026

12:30 PM - 1:20 PM PT

Location: Petree Hall D

Moderator(s)

KM

Kara D. Meister, MD

Assistant Professor
Stanford Medicine
Stanford, CA, United States

Panelist(s)

MS

Melissa A. Scholes, MD

Professor of Otolaryngology
Univerisity of Mississippi Medical center
Jackson, Mississippi, United States
Iram N. N. Ahmad, MD, MME

Assistant Professor
Stanford University Pediatric Otolaryngology
Palo Alto, CA, United States
Brianne B. Roby, MD

MD, FACS
Children's Minnesota
St. Paul, MN, United States
Claire M. Lawlor, MD

Assistant Professor
Boston Children's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, United States

This session is for practicing otolaryngologists who must prepare for diagnostic and therapeutic challenges that were once historical footnotes, ensuring our specialty remains at the forefront of addressing this public health crisis while optimizing patient outcomes.
We will have a panel discussion of the background of the problem, clinical pearls for these re-emerging presentations, and how we can be advocates locally and nationally to advocate for mitigation strategies.

Learning Objectives:

Analyze regional vaccination trends and disease resurgence patterns using the CDC's SchoolVaxView Interactive tool to identify at-risk populations and anticipate otolaryngologic disease burden in their practice communities.
Diagnose the otolaryngologic manifestations of reemerging vaccine-preventable diseases (e.g. measles parotitis, congenital rubella-related sensorineural hearing loss, laryngeal diphtheria, and H. influenzae infections) and non-vaccine-preventable diseases such as syphilitis.
Implement evidence-based clinical strategies for the management of reemerging infectious diseases in otolaryngologic practice, including appropriate diagnostic workup, treatment protocols, interdisciplinary collaboration, and effective patient counseling regarding vaccination.