I just realized that many Republican senators are trying to support a move by the Senate to impose a travel ban from West African countries coming to the US because of concerns about the transmission of Ebola. England has already imposed a travel ban for this reason. I wrote a letter to the CDC last week regarding a possible quarantine protocol for all people coming into the US directly and indirectly from countries affected by Ebola. If you take the view that a travel ban, or quarantine would help keep people in the United States safe, please call your senators and voice your opinion. I believe we have the responsibility to help in this medical crisis, but I also believe that it is the duty of the US Government to protect the citizens of the USA against unnecessary risk and exposure to disease. Here is the text of the letter that the CDC sent to me: CDC INFO [email protected] via gzkkxi0zfxxbuu.u-ycbuma4.na12.bnc.salesforce Oct 10 (10 days ago) to me Thank you for your inquiry to CDC-INFO. In response to your concern of travelers entering the US from Western Africa, we are able to provide you with the following information. CDC recognizes that Ebola generates a lot of public worry and concern; however, CDC and the World Health Organization do not recommend stopping travel between countries with Ebola outbreaks and other countries. Many travelers from these countries are residents of other countries, including the United States, and have gone to West Africa to help the response effort. CDC has issued guidance that people exposed to Ebola should not board commercial airplanes. CDC also is helping authorities in Ebola-affected countries to screen travelers boarding flights for illness or exposure to Ebola. People who are sick or known to have been exposed to Ebola are not allowed to travel on commercial flights until cleared by public health authorities. During an international outbreak, the local public health authorities have jurisdiction. Often they request help from international health partners, such as the World Health Organization and CDC, to learn more about the outbreak and control the spread of disease. In response to outbreaks in other countries, CDC does not close points of entry in the United States. CDC does not have the authority to close ports in other countries. However, CDC works with international public health organizations, other federal agencies, and the travel industry to identify sick travelers arriving in the United States, and takes appropriate public health actions to prevent the spread of contagious diseases. If we know about travelers with a serious contagious disease before they travel, we can take steps to prevent them from traveling. To learn more about CDC’s role in the current Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, please visit: cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/guinea/index.html Links to nonfederal organizations are provided as a service. Links are not an endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the federal government. CDC is not responsible for the content of organization websites found at these links. Thank you for contacting CDC-INFO. For more information, please call 1-800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) or visit cdc.gov/info. CDC-INFO is a service of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). This service is provided by Verizon and its subcontractors under the Networx Universal contract to CDC and ATSDR. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ts 11369,11700, 11365 --------------- Original Message --------------- From: [[email protected]] Sent: 10/9/2014 8:57 AM To: [email protected] Subject: CDC-INFO: Inquiry Subject: Ebola quarantine question From: General Public Your Question: I was wondering why all passengers arriving from high risk Ebola countries via flight to the U.S.A. are not quarantined for a 21 day period before being allowed entry. This method of quarantine has long existed as best practice with imported animals. It may seem inhumane to apply such measures to humans but the virus does not discriminate based on species. Passengers can and will lie on forms, and temperature taking does not offer anything more than a temporal image of passenger health. In the infectious disease community, ELISA immunoassay tests are notorious for their inaccuracy and testing really ought to be standardized on PCR and direct viral confirmation. A 21 day quarantine would be a terrible imposition, but it would be invaluable as a tool to saving the lives of U.S. citizens. Please consider stricter measures to protect us.
Posted on: Mon, 20 Oct 2014 14:41:34 +0000
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