Sudan passengers not vaccinated for yellow fever to be quarantined

CHENNAI: The public health department has asked airport authorities in the state to ensure that passengers arriving from Sudan as a part of Operation Kaveri, without yellow fever vaccination, are kept in quarantine for at least six days.
A letter from the director of public health Dr T S Selvavinayagam send to the airport directors in Chennai, Madurai, Trichy and Coimbatore, said the disease is endemic in Sudan and passengers must be checked for valid vaccination certificates. "If they do not have a valid vaccination certificate they should be sent to a quarantine facility (a government medical college hospital)," the letter said. In Chennai, patients will be taken to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital.
While asymptomatic passengers will be followed up for six days in the GHs, those with fever, headache, malaise, nausea, vomiting and jaundice must be tested for the disease and other pathogens at designated laboratories. While those who tested positive have to undergo treatment and others will be discharged. "Under any of these quarantine rules, No diplomatic immunity exists," it said.
The deputy director of health services of the district will arrange for quarantine facilities in coordination with the deans of the medical college hospitals. The airport officials have also been asked to send the list of passengers and those without vaccination to the headquarters.