The Hill: "Chickenpox shows how unprepared we are at the border"
Dr. Fielding shares his thoughts about "our government’s responsibility toward those whom they detain or deport & all those with whom they interact."
It’s been more than a week since a detainee at Victorville — a prison complex in California being used by Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) — was diagnosed with chickenpox.
About 1,000 immigrants were moved here as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on asylum seekers; authorities claim that they were medically screened on entry to the prison.
The diagnosis of chickenpox — highly contagious, passed by touching or breathing virus particles — came days after protesting prison workers there — who considered the situation dangerous - urged the federal government to add more staff to the medical unit.
Faculty Referenced by this Article
Nationally recognized health services researcher and sociomedical scientist with 25+ years' experience in effectiveness and implementation research.
![Michelle Keller](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-07/keller-michelle_500x500.jpg?itok=uJryn-xx)
Dr. Michelle S. Keller is a health services researcher whose research focuses on the use and prescribing of high-risk medications.
![James Macinko](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-07/Macinko%2C%20J_500x500_10.jpg?itok=bsG1e-s6)
Professor of Community Health Sciences & Health Policy and Management, and Associate Dean for Research
![Faculty/staff profile placeholder image](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-07/person-placeholder.jpg?itok=Yj28CoTl)
EMPH Academic Program Director with expertise in healthcare marketing, finance, and reproductive health policy, teaching in the EMPH, MPH, MHA program
![Faculty/staff profile placeholder image](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-07/person-placeholder.jpg?itok=Yj28CoTl)
Dr. Ron Andersen is the Wasserman Professor Emeritus in the UCLA Departments of Health Policy and Management.
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