The Johns Hopkins Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response, known as CEPAR, has issued a travel policy relating to the Zika virus.
Among the matters highlighted: University employees should register with the Johns Hopkins International Travel Registry prior to Johns Hopkins–related trips, and, when returning, if they think they may have been exposed to the virus, they may use Johns Hopkins Occupational Health Services or Student Health Services for guidance.
The following letter from director Gabe Kelen was sent to the Johns Hopkins community on March 30.
Dear Colleagues:
Zika virus has been identified as a major health concern around the world. Due to the evolving situation and the potential effects of Zika virus, the Johns Hopkins Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response has joined with Johns Hopkins leadership and infectious disease experts to develop the following travel policy relating to Zika virus:
For work-related or personal travel, CEPAR, on behalf of the Johns Hopkins institutions, strongly advises all women faculty and staff members, students, and trainees who are pregnant or trying to conceive (or are otherwise sexually active and at risk of pregnancy) against travel to Zika virus–affected areas. Men whose sexual partners are pregnant or trying to conceive should abstain from sex or use condoms consistently and correctly for the duration of the pregnancy after traveling to a region with active Zika transmission.
All Johns Hopkins University faculty and staff members, students, and trainees planning travel to a country or region with active Zika virus transmission should remember to register with the Johns Hopkins International Travel Registry prior to leaving on Johns Hopkins–related travel. Undergraduate students must also petition for approval for Johns Hopkins–related travel to all countries with travel warnings, including those from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the State Department. Undergraduate student travel requires preapproval from the student's parents, adviser, school dean, director of study abroad, and university chief risk officer. Please note: The travel registry system is only applicable to Johns Hopkins University faculty and staff members, students, and trainees and is not applicable to Johns Hopkins Health System personnel.
Upon return, any Johns Hopkins University or Johns Hopkins Health System faculty or staff member, student, or trainee who has traveled to a Zika-affected area on a Johns Hopkins–sanctioned initiative and believes he or she may have been exposed to Zika virus may utilize Johns Hopkins Occupational Health Services or Student Health Services, as applicable, for guidance. Pregnant women should contact their obstetrician. Consultation for those who are pregnant is also available from the Johns Hopkins Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine.
This guidance follows current guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. This guidance will be updated as new information about Zika virus becomes available.
Please click here to view a PDF version of CEPAR's guidance on Zika virus. Additional details about this policy and frequently asked questions can be found on CEPAR's intranet site. For other information about Zika virus, please visit the Johns Hopkins Medicine Zika virus website.
Sincerely, Gabor Kelen, M.D.
Director, Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response
