US blocks entry to noncitizens who may have been exposed to Ebola

Amid an ongoing Ebola outbreak, CDC on Friday announced that the United States would block entry into the country for some legal residents who had been in the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan due to a limited ability to screen and monitor people who might have been exposed to the virus.

Earlier last week, CDC invoked a public health law called Title 42 to bar entry into the U.S. for immigrants who had been to the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan over the past 21 days, exempting U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents. That order is in effect for 30 days, though the agency could choose to extend it.

The policy announced Friday would expand the ban, providing health officials the legal authority to bar legal permanent residents "who originate from or have recently traveled through" the DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan. CDC said the residents would be barred "for a limited period of time."

Meanwhile, the Department of US Customs and Border Protection posted updated orders expanding the list of airports that can screen passengers entering the United States who have been in the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan. These passengers will be able to land at international airports in Atlanta, Houston, and Dulles for health screenings.

However, on Tuesday, the New York Times reported that the Trump administration intends to send U.S. citizens exposed to the Ebola virus to Kenya, according to three people with knowledge of the plans who spoke to the Times.

According to two of the people, the administration initially planned to monitor Americans exposed to the virus in Kenya but now plans to provide treatment as well. Any government scientists and physicians who develop symptoms will also be treated in Kenya.

(Tirrell, et al., CNN, 5/22; Mandavilli/Aleaziz, New York Times, 5/22; Mandavilli/Kanno-Yougns, New York Times, 5/26)

HHS withdraws news rules for ACIP

HHS has withdrawn its revised charter for CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) just over a month since it unveiled the new charter. The charter put greater emphasis on the potential harms of vaccines and expanded panel membership beyond its previous priority of expertise in immunization practices.

In March, a federal judge ruled that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had acted unlawfully when he fired all 17 members of ACIP and replaced them with eight new appointees in June 2025. This ruling reversed all decisions made by the panel, including its overhaul of the childhood vaccine schedule.

HHS responded by issuing a renewed charter last month that would have expanded membership in ACIP to those with expertise on "consumer perspectives" or "recovery from serious vaccine injuries." It also would have expanded ACIP's roster of non-voting liaison representatives to include vaccine-skeptical groups like Physicians for Informed Consent and the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons.

According to a note in the Federal Register, HHS withdrew the charter "due to an administrative error in meeting the revised public notification timing requirements. As a result, the charter lapsed and the committee must be re-established."

(Rudd, MedPage Today, 5/19)

The task force's three previous meetings have been canceled, and American Medical Association President Bobby Mukkamala said in a statement that his organization is "extremely concerned" by Kennedy's decision to remove Wong and Davis.

"We strongly urge HHS to restore the USPSTF's long-standing, transparent process for selecting members, specifically clinicians with expertise in the fields of preventive medicine and primary care," Mukkamala said. "We also implore HHS to commit to once again holding regular Task Force meetings to ensure its important work can continue without further delay. Our patients' lives depend on it."

(Fiore, MedPage Today, 5/20)

The 2 senators who could replace Cassidy on the Senate's health committee

Following the primary loss of Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who currently serves as chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) committee, two physician senators have emerged as the most likely candidates to take his place.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is the next Republican in line for the position, though he is also chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee and could opt to stay in that role. Paul has pushed back on government-mandated vaccines, suggesting they infringe on personal rights, and has continued to be vocal about determining the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting that alleged gain-of-function research supported by NIH may have contributed.

Meanwhile, Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) is also angling to become chair of the HELP committee, according to POLITICO. Marshall, who is a practicing ob/gyn, previously founded a Make America Healthy Again caucus in order to promote HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s plans for fighting chronic diseases and has also criticized vaccine mandates.

Other senior Republicans on the HELP committee include Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who currently chairs the Senate Appropriations committee and is in the midst of a reelection campaign, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). Murkowski chairs the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations committee as well as the Senate Indian Affairs committee and reportedly wants to succeed retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) as head of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

(Henderson, MedPage Today, 5/19)