Do you favor or oppose travel restrictions to and from West Africa?

[branford]

22. It really depends.

"Restrictions" is far too broad a term.

I would definitely support, to the extent reasonably possible, increased screening.

However, I would need to hear and evaluate more opinions from objective medical and public health specialists before supporting more draconian policies, but would not eliminate the possibility of travel ban if it was really required.

However, I admit that I was very troubled the other day when listening to a guest on CNN (I unfortunately didn't catch his name, but the chyron indicated he was a doctor) who stated that we shouldn't institute any travel restrictions from Liberia because of the "legacy of slavery" and how it would hurt Liberia economically. I was dumbfounded.

I want public health decisions to be made on the basis of scientific fact and believe that our government has an obligation and duty to protect us from actual threats. I no more want "liberal" social and cultural considerations to interfere with possible scientifically based measures necessary to protect lives, than I want similar "conservative" considerations to derail solutions to climate change.