The coronavirus is not the only thing people should be worried about this year. There is a readily available and effective vaccine for the flu but not everyone is being given the chance to receive it.
Even with a readily available vaccine for influenza migrant children are not receiving it. According to an article in The Cut, at least three children have died of this easily preventable disease in U.S. custody at detention centers. The question is why they aren’t receiving a vaccine to help protect their health.
In addition to the harsh conditions in the centers, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) refused to let a group of 60 doctors administer flu vaccines to migrant children in custody at the Chula Vista Border Patrol station in San Diego. Physicians have been advocating for the health of migrant children, but their efforts continue to be halted.
In December 2019, 16-year-old Carlos Gregorio Hernandez Vasquez, a healthy teenager, came down with the flu and suffered a fever of 103 degrees. He died. According to a New York Times video of this month, Dr. Mario Mendoza was one of the many doctors who was advocating for the health of migrant children. A CNN article mentions that Dr. Mendoza is a member of Doctors for Camp Closure which is trying to reverse CBP’s decision to not vaccinate against influenza.
Mendoza along with other doctors sought justice for the teenager by setting up a protest outside of the Chula Vista Border Patrol station in San Diego. During this protest doctors chanted “let us vaccinate,” and “do not hesitate.” The same CNN article quoted Dr. Mendoza who said, “Allow us to take away the burden from CBP if you can call it that and not administer the flu vaccine themselves, but a group of doctors can come in, work alongside CBP and administer these flu vaccinations in a timely cost effective manner.”
These doctors wanted to provide flu vaccinations but instead of Customs and Border Patrol allowing them to vaccinate the children they instead arrested six of the doctors about two weeks ago. In a statement posted on Facebook, the Doctors of Camp Closure said, “They were taken into custody, detained, cited, and then released.”
CBP has two main reasons why it doesn’t vaccinate migrants against the flu. The first is due to the hold time for most migrants which is about three days or less and that they will receive vaccinations when they are sent to other agencies.
But it’s completely disheartening to hear that children are dying of the flu due to the negligence of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It’s a preventable disease that no child should have to die for. Border Patrol and the U.S. government need to be held accountable for what’s going on in detention centers. The health of every migrant being held in detention centers should be valued and protected. Children especially should not be dying of a preventable disease in immigration custody.
