The boards of directors of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) and the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) have cancelled the General Session & Exhibition scheduled for March 18 to March 21 in Washington, DC.
The organizations’ leadership say they have been closely monitoring reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and other sources regarding the COVID-19 outbreak.
Based on numerous travel bans and advisories implemented by governments and governmental agencies, institutions, and corporations, the IADR and AADR said, and to protect public health, cancelling is the right course of action.
The General Session is an enormous undertaking involving the volunteer leadership, the annual session committee, the scientific groups and networks, presenters, IADR and AADR staff, and countless others, the groups said.
This year was a special year, they added, as they were scheduled to celebrate the IADR Centennial, including three plenary sessions, centennial-themed symposia, and the IADR Centennial Gala at the US Library of Congress.
Over the coming weeks and months, the IADR and AADR said, the groups will explore ways to virtually celebrate all of the awards, fellowships, and grants that they planned to celebrate in Washington, DC, as well as a hundred years of dental, oral, and craniofacial research.
Everyone who has registered to attend the meeting will receive a full refund within the next 45 days. Once the cancellation is processed, attendees will receive confirmation in a separate email. Attendees do not need to contact IADR or its registration company, Spargo.
Despite the cancellation, IADR and AADR will make abstracts citable as part of a special online only issue of the Journal of Dental Research. The groups also advise attendees to cancel any personal arrangements they have made, such as travel and housing reservations.
Related Articles
Connecticut Mission of Mercy Free Dental Clinic Postponed
Academy of Osseointegration Cancels 2020 Annual Meeting
WHO, CDC, and FDA Offer PPE Updates for the COVID-19 Outbreak
