WASHINGTON, D.C., Jun 3 — The United States has implemented enhanced public health surveillance and testing measures at major international airports ahead of the FIFA World Cup, according to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz.
During a White House briefing, a journalist asked federal officials how the United States is preparing for an expected influx of international visitors as the tournament approaches and whether current health monitoring efforts focused on travelers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Sudan would be expanded.
Responding to the question, Oz said federal health agencies have developed a comprehensive strategy under the leadership of National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya and officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Our brilliant leader of the NIH, but also CDC now is running this program,” Oz said. “He’s got a lot of help from Dr. Heidi Overton and many others at the White House. It’s a well-constructed game plan.”
Oz said health officials moved aggressively to establish monitoring programs and secure funding to support the initiative.
The CMS administrator noted that treatment facilities established in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kenya are intended to provide additional medical support for Americans who may require care overseas. However, he emphasized that the administration’s primary focus remains early detection and monitoring at major transportation hubs.
“We have purposefully put up testing tools and mechanisms at the major airports that people will be traveling through,” Oz said.
While Oz did not provide specific details about the types of surveillance technologies or screening procedures being employed, his comments suggest that federal health authorities have strengthened monitoring capabilities at key entry points into the United States as international travel volumes increase.
The preparations come as public health officials continue to monitor global disease outbreaks and assess potential risks associated with large-scale international events.
Oz expressed strong confidence in the leadership overseeing the effort, particularly praising Bhattacharya’s scientific expertise and experience in public health.
“I have great confidence in Jay’s ability. He’s a brilliant scientist and knows a lot about viruses,” Oz said.
The CMS administrator also referenced Bhattacharya’s role during the COVID-19 pandemic, describing him as a scientist willing to communicate difficult findings despite political controversy.
“He was one of the most important people describing the true reality of what was happening during COVID early in the pandemic,” Oz said. “It got him in hot water because it was not convenient to hear it. But he’s a brave man who makes the right decisions and is transparent.”
Federal officials have not yet released additional details regarding whether health surveillance efforts will be expanded beyond travelers from specific regions currently under heightened monitoring. However, Oz’s remarks indicate that health agencies are coordinating closely across multiple departments to prepare for increased international travel linked to the World Cup.
