WP: U.S. to Triple Airport Quarantine Stations

[DeepModem Mom]

U.S. to Triple Airport Quarantine Stations
Health Program Aims to Prevent Infectious Diseases From Entering Country

By Justin Gillis
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, August 28, 2005; Page A16


The government plans to more than triple the number of quarantine stations at airports around the country and hire scores of health officers as part of a broad plan to try to stop deadly infectious diseases from entering the United States.

Ten new stations, at airports stretching from Alaska to Puerto Rico, are already open or nearing completion, and about 50 new health officers are undergoing training. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plans to build an additional seven stations as soon as it can get the money. Eight stations that have existed for years are gaining staff, so that when the plan is complete, the country will be blanketed by a network of 25 centers designed as a first-line of defense against a global disease pandemic.

In practical terms, the plan will not mean much change for international air travelers, at least in normal times. It does mean that if a passenger gets sick on a flight, when the plane lands it is likely to be boarded by federal health officers specifically trained to recognize exotic diseases, not just by local emergency crews.

If a global pandemic looms, though, the plan calls for the centers to play a key role in setting up a firebreak that would try to keep the disease out of the United States. The stations would help coordinate broad programs under which thousands of air travelers might be subject to medical evaluation, or offered medical pamphlets and advice, before being allowed to enter the country. Federal experts emphasized that passengers would be quarantined only if there is strong reason to suspect they have been exposed to a serious disease, and then only long enough rule out that possibility or get them into medical-isolation wards at hospitals....

***

Many of the new centers are being housed temporarily in small offices or suites, but eventually they will include examination rooms that will allow health officers to isolate and evaluate a few ill passengers at a time, according to the CDC. The centers will never be big enough to quarantine entire planeloads of people but would play a coordinating role if such drastic measures ever became necessary....


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/27/AR2005082700958.html

[FormerRepublican]

1. Bird flu prep.

Not enough if it goes pandemic. Not very effective, either, since you can be infectious without showing symptoms. Just like it takes you several days to get the flu after that whack at the grocery store sneezes on you. But I suppose it makes the public feel better.

[wli]

2. Bush will probably launch bird flu bombs at blue cities shortly n/t

[Massachusetts]

3. "triple the number of quarantine stations at airports "

The cat is already out of the bag.............

[Demeter]

4. Lots Of Luck, George

The only thing that prevents public health crises is public education.

And I don't mean Intelligent Design.

Reality sucks, doesn't it?

[Trillo]

5. Let me see if I understand this right.

Instead of having security personnel conduct strip searches:
they're installing medical examination rooms for the similar purpose.

[Chicago1]

6. You are WONDERFUL

Deep Modem Mom,

THANK YOU THANK YOU for posting this. This was a great heads up.

[progressivebydesign]

7. Remember when people had to get shots to travel abroad and vice versa?

Okay.. I'm not old enuff to remember that, but I know it was reality for a while. Is there something wrong with ensuring that infectious diseases are not spread everywhere?

[lovuian]

8. Yep getting ready for Bird Flu!!!

This will nail airline travel!!!