As a world leader in health promotion and disease prevention, CDC works with immigrant, refugee, and migrant groups to improve their health by:
- providing guidelines for disease screening and treatment in the United States and overseas
- tracking and reporting disease in these populations
- responding to disease outbreaks in the United States and overseas
- advising U.S. partners on health care for refugee groups
- educating and communicating with immigrant and refugee groups and partners.
News and Updates
Guidance for Civil Surgeons and Panel Physicians based on 2010 Recommendations for the Seasonal Influenza (Flu) Vaccine.
New International Adoption Web page: Adopting a child from overseas can be a complicated process, and CDC understands the concerns of adoptive parents, adoption agencies, and advocates. CDC must balance the need to protect the health of immigrant applicants, the needs of U.S.-bound families, and the health of those in the United States. Thus, CDC sets guidelines to protect all these groups from the spread of serious disease. Learn more about medical screening for international adoptees and other immigrants »
Medical Examination of Immigrants and Refugees
Under the authority of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and the Public Health Service Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services promulgates regulations outlining the requirements for the medical examination of aliens seeking admission into the United States. The Division of Global Migration and Quarantine provides the Department of State (DOS) and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) with medical screening guidelines for all examining physicians, which outline in detail the scope of the medical examination. The purpose of the medical examination is to identify, for the DOS and USCIS, applicants with inadmissible health-related conditions.
Technical Instructions, Information and Updates
Medical screening guidelines (referred to as Technical Instructions) for all examining physicians, which outline in detail the scope of the medical examination for U.S.
Refugee Health Guidelines
On average, more than 50,000 refugees relocate to the United States annually. They come from diverse regions of the world and bring with them health risks and diseases common to all refugee populations as well as some that may be unique to specific popuations. The purpose of this document is to describe general and optional testing components that do not fall into the specific disease categories of these guidelines. These guidelines are based upon principles of best practices, with references to primary literature when available. More
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