Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

The Health and Safety Committee of the Boy Scouts of America recommends that Scouts and Scouters avoid taking elective or nonessential travel to SARS-affected countries or hosting Scouts or leaders in the United States who come from SARS-affected countries.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued travel advisories suggesting that people planning elective or nonessential travel to mainland China or Hong Kong may wish to postpone their trips until further notice. The CDC has also issued travel alerts for Singapore; Hanoi, Vietnam; and Toronto, Canada to recommend that U.S. travelers observe precautions to safeguard their health.

You can learn more about SARS at the Web sites of the CDC (www.cdc.gov) and the World Health Organization (www.who.int). These sites are updated continually with new information about SARS and the areas it affects. Travel status of any area can change at any time, so it is advisable to check the CDC Web site before any activities involving international travel.