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ICYMI: CDC Should Adopt Same Ebola Precautions As Military, Says Murphy

10/29/14

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CDC Should Adopt Same Ebola Precautions As Military, Says Murphy

 

Click to watch Rep. Murphy’s interview on CNN.

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Contact: Brad Grantz, 202.225.2301

(WASHINGTON, DC) — In response to the Department of Defense announcement that all military members serving in West African Ebola “hot zones” will be quarantined for 21 days before returning to the United States, Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Tim Murphy (PA-18) told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that the confusion and contradictions in the Administration’s Ebola virus policies and priorities are putting Americans needlessly at risk.

New Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for healthcare workers returning from treating patients in West Africa do not require a mandatory 21-day quarantine or self-isolation period despite DoD applying such restrictions to soldiers. Murphy, who has called for a mandatory quarantine as one of nine key next steps the Administration must take to protect public health, restated the need for a strong perimeter of defense.

“I think the military has it right even though are soldiers and sailors are not directly involved in Ebola patient care. They still want to have a strong perimeter of defense and out of an abundance of caution [impose a quarantine],” said Murphy.

I’ve also talked with some of these volunteer organizations, particularly Samaritan’s Purse. They already have it in their policies that you’re supposed to be quarantined and isolated for 21 days… Look what these hospitals and organizations are doing. They all say let’s be overly cautious rather than be permissive and have to walk this back,” said Murphy. He also noted that hospitals officials whom he has met with are requiring employees coming back from West Africa to abide by a 21-day isolation period before returning to work.

Following the conclusion of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing on October 16th, Murphy sent a letter to President Obama outlining nine key next steps that the Administrationmust take to protect Americans from the Ebola virus. His recommendations included among others, travel restrictions; 21-day quarantines for those Americans who have been exposed to Ebola or were visiting the West African hot spots; identify and designate specific medical centers equipped and trained to treat potential Ebola patients; stepped up training and protection for healthcare workers; accelerated review and approval by the Food and Drug Administration of promising vaccines, treatments, and diagnostic tests for the Ebola virus. Several of Murphy’s recommendations have already been adopted.

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