U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed Tuesday that they would not be providing flu shots to migrants and refugees at the southern border despite the flu-related deaths of three children.
“In general, due to the short-term nature of CBP holding and the complexities of operating vaccination programs, neither CBP nor its medical contractors administer vaccinations to those in our custody,” a spokeswoman for CBP said in a Tuesday statement.
Officials also said that medical personnel working at border facilities have increased dramatically in recent years, with over 200 people now working to keep migrants healthy. Only 20 medical staff were employed at the border in 2018. “Medical personnel on site are available 24/7 to provide medical diagnosis and treatment, address infectious disease issues, and coordinate referral to and follow up from local health system/emergency rooms,” the statement by a CBP spokeswoman also said. She also stated that migrants who are determined to require vaccinations by medical professionals would receive them if necessary.
[Also read: Advocates sue Trump administration over failure to give detained migrants adequate medical care]
The large influx of migrants seeking refugee status at the southern border has concerned health professionals and lawmakers in the wake of flu-related deaths. “When I learned that multiple children had died in detention from potentially preventable causes, it truly disturbed me,” said Dr. Jonathan Winickoff of Harvard pediatrics. “The country needs urgent answers to that question so that children stop dying in detention.”
“When you’re Border Patrol, whose responsibility is law enforcement, and giving them the responsibility of medical care, that’s a complicated mission,” said Dr. Julie Linton, chairwoman of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Immigrant Child and Family Health. “It’s critical to speak up as doctors.” Dr. Linton also criticized the conditions of migrant facilities and as being overcrowded and unsanitary. “There’s a number of things that we can do to prevent deaths and infection. Those do not include holding children in cage-like facilities and warehouses,” she said.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has notice posted on their website that details medical treatment and screenings that should be expected by migrants. “Refugees and immigrants seeking admission into the U.S. are required to have a medical examination,” the site says. “During the medical examination, a healthcare professional checks for specific diseases and assesses immunization status. The healthcare professional may run blood tests to find out which vaccines the refugee or immigrant may need.”
The CDC website also details a program co-developed with the Department of State that offers vaccination to those seeking asylum through legal ports of entry in the United States. The program describes its ethos as, “Refugees (and, where possible, Visa 93 applicants) at participating sites are offered immunizations depending on age, vaccine history, and eligibility.”
