Bibliographic information
GuidelineWHO guideline on public health and social measures for mitigating the risk and impact of epidemic and pandemic influenza
Year of Publication2026
Issuing InstitutionWorld Health Organization
Recommendation
New
WHO suggests against the use of upon-arrival quarantine of travellers to delay the introduction of influenza viruses into the community during influenza epidemics and pandemics.
Recommended against
Conditional
Certainty of evidence
Very low
Notes and Remarks
- Upon-arrival quarantine that takes place at a point of entry is defined as border quarantine. Maritime quarantine refers to the monitoring of all passengers and crew for a defined period before disembarkation from a ship is permitted in a jurisdiction (553), while airport or onboard quarantine refers to the monitoring of all passengers and crew for a defined period before disembarkation from a flight is permitted (554).
- Countries with adequate resources aiming to delay the introduction of pandemic influenza cases could consider implementing facility- or home-based upon-arrival quarantine for all travellers as part of their border measures. However, the successful implementation of upon-arrival quarantine would require significant resources.
- If not implemented properly, there may a risk of introducing an additional source of virus transmission within upon-arrival quarantine facilities.