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‘ON THEIR HANDS’

Customs and Border Protection Won’t Give Flu Vaccine to Detained Migrants

The flu contributed to the deaths of three undocumented children in custody since December.

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Justin Sullivan/Getty

By Tracy Connor

Medical experts have urged the government to give flu vaccines to detained migrants—but officials say they have no plans to do so. USA Today reports that Customs and Border Protection said it will not provide the shots because of the “short-term nature” of detention, the amount of time the vaccine takes to work and the “complexity” of vaccination programs. The agency’s statement follows the deaths of three migrant children tied in part to the flu. Dr. Judy Melinek, a forensic pathologist, urged officials to reconsider. “If there is an epidemic as a result of these policies, it will be on their hands,” she told the paper.

Read it at USA Today

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