Welcome to coverage of the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues today in Washington, D.C.

The topics today will include issues surrounding how the country should best prepare to protect children in the event of a terrorist attack or other large-scale disaster.

Guest speakers include Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who on Jan. 10 asked the Commission for ethical advice on the development of medical countermeasures for children. The Commission, in an afternoon session, also will continue its inquiry into privacy issues raised by low-cost whole genome sequencing.

Please follow the blog throughout the day for updates. Also, you can follow the proceedings live on a Webcast. You can find the link at http://www.tvworldwide.com/events/bioethics/120517/