Houston Chronicle with Dr. Brent Kaziny: How Houston hospitals are preparing for World Cup health and safety challenges like Ebola

Houston hospitals know how to prepare for the city’s largest events, but the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup presents unique challenges. 

Seven World Cup matches are scheduled in Houston between June 14 and July 4, with national teams from at least nine countries set to play at NRG Stadium.

Houston hospitals and public health agencies told the Houston Chronicle they have been preparing for the World Cup for the past year, with emergency management teams meeting at least once a month to discuss everything from staffing to monitoring for infectious diseases. The plans that hospitals already had in place for large events, natural disasters and emergencies were a framework for the preparations.

Texas Children’s Hospital, for example, has a special isolation unit at its West Campus hospital. Employees undergo regular training to treat patients with highly contagious infectious diseases, said Dr. Brent Kaziny, medical director of emergency management for the children's hospital.