Ebola Activities and Updates

Response to the 2014–2015 Ebola virus disease outbreak has required an understanding of complex public health issues, including the role of law in controlling the spread of infectious diseases. This page provides resources and trainings developed by the Public Health Law Program to address potential questions from responders and the public about Ebola-related legal issues.

• Ebola Movement and Monitoring Policies Table (updated 8/31/15)
  Table of state-by state protocols to help law and policy makers prepare and respond to Ebola-related situations.
• State and Territorial Ebola Screening, Monitoring, and Movement Policy Statements—United States, August 31, 2015
  Describes the analysis of state and territorial Ebola screening, monitoring, and movement policies as of August 31, 2015. Published in MMWR 2015;64:1145–6.
• Ebola: A Public Health and Legal Perspective
  Addresses complicated legal issues in the 2014 Ebola outbreak, including concerns related to states' authority to quarantine individuals who are infected with or have been exposed to Ebola, along with issues related to Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, the privacy and security of information, and vaccine liability. Published in ABA Health eSource, v. 11, n.5 (Jan. 2015). © 2015 American Bar Association.
• Ebola and the Law: Legal Preparedness for Physicians and Hospitals [PDF 343KB]
  Describes case law, statutes, and information about CDC guidance for healthcare and public health attorneys to address questions and concerns related to legal preparedness for potential infectious disease outbreaks.
• Domestic Legal Preparedness and Response to Ebola [PDF 104KB]
  Initial cases of Ebola in the US raise varied legal issues. This article presents perspectives on 1) state and local powers to quarantine and isolate people and 2) hospital preparedness underlying the treatment of Ebola patients. Published in The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, v. 43, n.s1 (Spring 2015). © American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics, Inc.
• Ebola and the Law: What You Need to Know
  This webinar, co-sponsored by The Network for Public Health Law, PHLP, and the American Health Lawyers Association, describes the 2014 Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, discusses legal issues that arise when infected patients enter the United States, and explores the legal powers and duties of health department personnel if an Ebola outbreak occurs in the United States. (08/12/2014)
• One Year of Ebola—Legal Issues and Considerations
  This webinar, sponsored by the American Health Lawyers Association and PHLP, examines the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, legal considerations implicated in the U.S. response to the outbreak, state Ebola screening and monitoring policies and their evolution during the past year, and how healthcare settings are legally preparing for the next threat. (11/20/2015)