COVID-19 Predeparture Test Results and Vaccination Coverage among US-Bound Refugees, 2020-2022

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology
• Immigration Health

Background:

• Understanding the health status of refugees before arrival is crucial for public health.
• COVID-19 posed a significant global health challenge, impacting all populations, including vulnerable groups like refugees.
• Data on pre-travel COVID-19 testing and vaccination for refugees resettling in the US were limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize predeparture COVID-19 test positivity rates among refugees destined for the United States.
• To assess the trends and coverage of COVID-19 vaccination among US-bound adult refugees.
• To inform public health strategies for refugee resettlement and disease prevention.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of predeparture COVID-19 testing data for US-bound refugees from November 2020 to June 2022.
• Review of vaccination records for adult US-bound refugees from November 2020 to December 2022.
• Calculation of positivity rates and vaccination coverage percentages.

Main Results:

• A total of 23,972 refugees underwent 28,465 COVID-19 tests, with 2.6% testing positive.
• Reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) accounted for 87% of all tests performed.
• COVID-19 vaccination coverage among 24,831 adult refugees increased from 0% to 71% during the study period.

Conclusions:

• Predeparture COVID-19 screening identified a low but present positivity rate among US-bound refugees.
• Significant progress was made in increasing COVID-19 vaccination coverage within this population.
• These findings support the importance of pre-travel health screenings and vaccination initiatives for refugee resettlement.