May detect obviously ill Questionable efficacy Apply screening criteria re travellers sensitivity, specificity, ethics, etc Cost (including resources) Supplements measures Develop standard operating Difficult to implement and (eg, thermal scanning) procedures with limitations and minimal effectiveness in constraints clearly identified identifying ill travellers Low sensitivity and specificity Requires trained personnel Large opportunity costs as would take up considerable time of health authorities Poor compliance some – travellers may actively hide symptoms Temperature Screening: Temperature screening methods may augment screening travellers from affected countries for symptoms or high-risk exposures. However, thermal screening of travellers at international air and sea ports is not recommended by the World Health Organization as there is no reliable way to easily identify infected but pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic travellers. If temperature screening is to be conducted, it should be in conjunction with well-developed protocols on how to manage travellers who are detected with raised temperatures. Basic infection prevention and control measures should also be applied. Options for temperature screening include thermometers and electronic mass thermal screening devices. Potential target populations to screen could include: all arriving travellers (entry screening); travellers arriving from selected destinations (entry screening) and/or all departing travellers in affected countries, especially those with community-level outbreaks (exit measures). However, temperature screening will not detect cases that are mild and may not be febrile or are pre- or a-symptomatic. While the World Health Organization does not have official recommendations around exit screening, it is probably best considered by national authorities in situations where countries have community-level outbreaks. Countries should reconsider or discontinue entry screening once a disease is transmitting widely within the country. Potential benefits Limitations/consequences Action points (Actions required to prepare for implementing a measure, based on planning, readiness and debriefs from responses or exercises, etc) Temperature screening aims to detect arriving travellers who have a fever –
May detect obviously ill travellers Supplements measures (eg, thermal scanning) Questionable efficacy Cost (including resources) Difficult to implement and minimal effectiveness in identifying ill travellers Low sensitivity and specificity Requires trained personnel Large opportunity costs as would take up considerable time of health authorities Poor compliance – some travellers may actively hide symptoms Apply screening criteria re sensitivity, specificity, ethics, etc Develop standard operating procedures with limitations and constraints clearly identified Temperature Screening: Temperature screening methods may augment screening travellers from affected countries for symptoms or high-risk exposures. However, thermal screening of travellers at international air and sea ports is not recommended by the World Health Organization as there is no reliable way to easily identify infected but pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic travellers. If temperature screening is to be conducted, it should be in conjunction with well-developed protocols on how to manage travellers who are detected with raised temperatures. Basic infection prevention and control measures should also be applied. Options for temperature screening include thermometers and electronic mass thermal screening devices. Potential target populations to screen could include: all arriving travellers (entry screening); travellers arriving from selected destinations (entry screening) and/or all departing travellers in affected countries, especially those with community-level outbreaks (exit measures). However, temperature screening will not detect cases that are mild and may not be febrile or are pre- or a-symptomatic. While the World Health Organization does not have official recommendations around exit screening, it is probably best considered by national authorities in situations where countries have community-level outbreaks. Countries should reconsider or discontinue entry screening once a disease is transmitting widely within the country. Potential benefits Limitations/consequences Action points (Actions required to prepare for implementing a measure, based on planning, readiness and debriefs from responses or exercises, etc) Temperature screening – aims to detect arriving travellers who have a fever
responding-public-health-threats-international-concern-nz-air-sea-ports-aug16.docx