UCLA epidemiologist urges Los Angeles to form Olympic public‑health task force ahead of 2028

Dr. Anne Rimoin, a professor of epidemiology and director of the UCLA Center for Global and Immigrant Health, told the Los Angeles City Health Commission on July 14 that the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games present a ‘‘public‑health stress test’’ and urged the city and county to form a permanent, cross‑sector Olympic Public Health Preparedness Task Force.

Rimoin said the city must move from ‘‘business as usual’’ preparedness to a proactive blueprint that leverages academic partners, strengthens surveillance and positions diagnostics and prevention infrastructure at venues and athlete housing. "The time to plan is now," she said, adding, "This is the moment for LA to shine, not just in the stadiums, but in every neighborhood, clinic, and community."

Why it matters: mass gatherings concentrate visitors from around the world, raising the risk of introducing and amplifying infectious diseases. Rimoin pointed to past events where outbreaks disrupted competitions and strained public‑health systems — Zika concerns ahead of Rio 2016, a norovirus outbreak at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics that sickened hundreds of staff, and COVID‑19 impacts at the Tokyo Games — arguing Los Angeles can avert similar outcomes with early, coordinated action.

Most important findings and recommendations

- Threats to plan for: Rimoin listed likely threats that could surface during mass gatherings: vector‑borne diseases (dengue, chikungunya), vaccine‑preventable infections (measles), gastrointestinal outbreaks (norovirus), reemergence of vaccine‑preventable pathogens (polio detected in wastewater in 2022) and common respiratory infections. She also cited the city’s recent measles resurgence nationally as a concern, noting higher U.S. case counts in the first five months of the year than the whole of 2023.

- Surveillance and detection: Rimoin recommended a multimodal surveillance system that includes expanded wastewater monitoring, metagenomics and participatory tools, and closer partnerships with academic laboratories to analyze near‑real‑time data. She said university partners can ‘‘backfill workforce and capacity gaps’’ and urged targeted wastewater sampling at venues, dormitories and higher‑risk sites.

- On‑site diagnostics and surge capacity: Rimoin advocated prepositioned mobile diagnostic hubs at venues and athlete housing to triage respiratory and gastrointestinal pathogens and reduce avoidable Emergency Department visits. She suggested piloting those hubs at upcoming large events in the region (Super Bowl, World Cup) before 2028.

- Unified public messaging and multilingual outreach: Rimoin recommended a single, action‑oriented public health communications channel and consistent signage and materials in multiple languages so visitors and residents know where to seek care and how to protect themselves.

- Private‑public funding and institutionalization: Rimoin proposed a public‑health resilience fund to incentivize private‑sector contributions, support technology and infrastructure pilots, and help ensure investments leave a lasting legacy beyond the Games. She recommended creating a standing Olympic Public Health Preparedness Task Force to coordinate city, county, private and academic stakeholders.

Questions from commissioners

Commissioner Shannon asked whether the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health can rapidly scale wastewater and airborne surveillance. Rimoin said she did not work for the department and recommended direct conversations with county public‑health leaders; she noted that many agencies have faced budget constraints and that academic partners could support capacity gaps. "I think they will be very upfront about what is possible, what's not possible, what will be needed, and would welcome a lot of collaboration and support," Rimoin said.

Commissioner Kato and others pressed how to operationalize academic involvement and private funding. Rimoin urged forming a cross‑sector advisory council and using earlier regional events as pilot sites. She also said exemptions and workarounds were not the point; the priority is early coordination and resourcing so the academic workforce and diagnostics are deployed before urgent demand spikes.

What the commission did: the discussion was part of an educational forum; the meeting lacked a quorum and no formal commission action or vote was taken. Multiple commissioners expressed interest in working with Rimoin and UCLA researchers to develop a task force and follow up with county partners.

Context and constraints

Rimoin repeatedly emphasized that proactive detection and transparent communication reduce reputational and health risks more effectively than suppression or denial. She noted budget constraints at public‑health agencies and argued that investments for LA 2028 could strengthen long‑term city and county capacity.

Ending

Commissioners thanked Rimoin and invited her to help convene expert partners and assist in designing pilot surveillance and diagnostics efforts. Rimoin said she would help "spearhead this project" and urged early, sustained planning to leave a lasting public‑health legacy from LA 2028.