Letter to Tom Frieden, Director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Implement Ebola Screenings at U.S. Ports of Entry

Letter

Dr. Tom Frieden
Director
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd NE
Mailstop D-14
Atlanta, GA 30333

Dear Dr. Frieden,

With the first case of Ebola on United States soil, I am writing to call on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to recommend enhanced entry screenings at American ports of entry. Currently, no one entering the U.S. is subject to specific Ebola screening measures. Therefore, it is important for the safety of all Americans that airport screening mechanisms are strengthened.

Given Ebola's long incubation period, I understand that entry screenings are not the proverbial silver bullet to protecting the U.S. homeland. However, enhanced screenings for those entering from West Africa or under a passport from Liberia, Sierra Leone, or Guinea are a critical step in the process of protecting Americans from this deadly disease. These enhanced screening techniques could include temperature checks, asking passengers if they have come in contact with Ebola patients, and a secondary round of screenings from Customs and Border Protection at every U.S. airport stop along their travel itinerary. I urge you to consider these options.

I appreciate your personal efforts and those working at the CDC to combat the Ebola epidemic both at home and abroad. I look forward to continuing to work with you to ensure you have the resources necessary to continue this critical mission.

Sincerely,

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