Some of the largest and most publicized public health events of the last several decades are profiled in the CDC’s web series “We Were There” – Toxic Shock Syndrome, E. coli O157 outbreak of 1993, ending polio in America, the first Legionnaires’ Disease outbreak in 1976, and others. This fascinating lecture series outlines in detail the behind-the-scenes investigation process and the invaluable contributions from public health in solving and stopping considerable morbidity and mortality from disease outbreaks.

Contributors include many of the original epidemiologists and Epidemic Intelligence Service Officers involved in these outbreaks, with some coming out of retirement. They present their experiences, from hypothesis gathering to conducting case-control studies to removing exposures and educating the public. The presentations are available in two formats, podcast and recorded embedded video.

The former Director (1977-1983) of the CDC, Dr. William H. Foege, is quoted in the Toxic Shock Syndrome program: “The blessing and the curse of epidemiology is that sometimes… we know the first chapter and the last chapter without knowing the chapters in between.” These shows attempt to explain those chapters in between where public’s health’s role shines.

You can access the recordings at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention We Were There web page.