Concerns over proposed rules for preventing spread of infectious diseases

Federal officials have posted proposed rule changes for how they try to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. One group sees some dangers in the proposals. To federal officials, it’s a way to provide greater transparency and efficiency in the way the United States tries to prevent infectious diseases from spreading. To the folks at one nonprofit health organization, it’s a “power grab” by the federal government that could eventually prohibit people who aren’t vaccinated from getting on airplanes, trains, or ships. The object of this attention is an 88-page proposal by officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The proposal would amend the current rules for quarantine for control of communicable diseases for people traveling in the United States as well as people entering the country. The proposed rule changes were posted on Aug. 15. Federal officials are taking public comment until this...