Following Arrests, Doctors End Protest Over Border Patrol’s Refusal To Give Detained Migrants Flu Shots
Several children died in U.S. custody because of the flu and the CDC recommended that migrants are given the vaccine. But officials say that trying to provide flu shots to everyone during the few days they spend in Border Patrol custody does not make sense. A group of doctors launched a protest in response to the refusal that spanned the past three days.
The Associated Press:
Doctors End Protest To Demand Flu Vaccines For Migrants
A group of doctors on Wednesday ended a three-day protest against the U.S. government's refusal to allow the flu vaccine be administered to migrants, following the arrests of six demonstrators outside a Border Patrol regional headquarters in San Diego. Dr. Bonnie Arzuaga said Customs and Border Patrol officials met briefly with her and other protest leaders and vowed to pass her organization's request to start a pilot program to inoculate migrants in detention facilities in San Diego up their chain of command. (Watson, 12/11)
Los Angeles Times:
U.S. Officials Won't Let Doctors Give Flu Shots To Migrant Children
Dr. Mario Mendoza, a retired anesthesiologist, said it would take less than half an hour to administer the vaccines to more than 100 children via the free mobile flu clinic they set up directly outside the CBP facility. “We have the team here. We have the vaccines. It would not take 72 hours to do,” said Mendoza, adding that denying children the basic healthcare being offered was intentionally cruel and inhumane. (Fry, 12/10)
The New York Times:
Why Border Patrol Refuses To Offer Flu Shots To Migrants
Since last December, three migrant children have died from influenza in facilities along the southwestern border, where migrants routinely complain that cold temperatures sicken children, and where physicians have reported that crowded conditions spread illnesses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, concerned that infectious respiratory illnesses were spreading in congested border facilities, this year recommended flu vaccinations “at the earliest point of entry” for migrants who are 6 months or older. (Jordan, 12/11)
CNN:
Border Agency Says It's Doing All It Can To Stop Children From Dying From Flu. Others Aren't So Sure
In its 10-page report, which was issued in January, CDC experts wrote that border patrol agents lacked training to identify acutely ill migrants, and that there were "limited" options for isolating sick migrants. "Current infrastructure is not sufficient to assure rapid and adequate infection control measures," the CDC experts concluded. "With inadequate DHS medical infrastructure, illness in the border patrol facilities stresses both the border patrol staff and the community medical infrastructure." (Cohen and Bonifield, 12/12)
In other news on immigration, an investigation reveals that some doctors involved in vetting green card applicants have a history of professional misconduct, highly skilled immigrants struggle to find work in their fields, and more —
ProPublica:
Despite Audit, Doctors With Checkered Records Can Still Decide Fate Of Green Card Seekers
Last year, government investigators found that the federal program for vetting the health of green card applicants included scores of doctors with histories of professional misconduct. Physicians who had been disciplined by state medical boards for abusing patients, and in some cases had faced criminal charges, had the government’s blessing to conduct screenings that can decide the fate of an immigrant’s petition for permanent residency. (Chou and Medina, 12/12)
ProPublica:
Your Doctor Might Have A Disciplinary Record. Here’s How To Find Out.
Patients often select doctors based on recommendations from family and friends, distance from their house or participation in their health insurer’s network. ProPublica also provides helpful resources for researching doctors, and knowing whether a doctor has been sanctioned by a professional licensing board should be another essential part of your search. Doctors can be disciplined for criminal convictions, medical negligence, wrongly prescribing controlled substances and other wrongdoing. (Ornstein, Waldman and Ojiaku, 12/11)
KQED:
‘Brain Waste': Highly Skilled Immigrants Struggle To Fill Workforce Gaps
Burmese doctors dish sushi at a restaurant, a Jordanian computer engineer drives for Uber, and a Nepali non-profit program officer stocks shelves at a Walmart. Nearly two million college-educated immigrants labor in jobs for which they are overqualified, or cannot find work at all. The so-called “brain waste” phenomenon is costing California and other states billions of dollars per year in lost individual earnings and tax revenues, according to estimates by the Migration Policy Institute. (Romero, 12/11)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Marietta Leaders Reject Shelter For Immigrant Children
A proposal to open a shelter for unaccompanied migrant children seized from the U.S-Mexico border suffered a major setback, but the pastor behind the project is not ready to throw in the towel. The Marietta City Council on Wednesday unanimously voted to overturn a Zoning Board of Appeals’ decision and deny a variance to Stone Mountain Pastor Mitchell Bryant for the shelter at a building at 119 Powers Ferry Road. (Dixon, 12/12)
