The New York Daily News on Friday examined the federal government's recent actions to remove HIV from the list of diseases that can bar foreign residents from entry into the U.S. According to the Daily News, "The current regulations took effect in 1987, at the height of the worldwide AIDS scare," but, "[n]ow, with the backing of the Obama administration, the ban could be lifted by the end of the year." Martin Cetron, director of the CDC's Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, said, "We're trying to end the stigma and the discriminatory practice for a disease that doesn't warrant exclusion for coming into this country." MSNBC.com reports that "immigration critics say they're leery of the proposal that could allow an average of 4,275 HIV-infected people into the country annually, with a lifetime medical cost of about $94 million for those admitted during the first year, according to CDC estimates published this month in the Federal Register" (Aleccia, 7/17). Through Aug. 17, CDC is seeking public comment on the proposed rule to remove HIV from the list of diseases that can bar entry into the U.S. (Miller, 7/17).
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