What does the blanket designation of health departments as Civil Surgeons mean?
The blanket designation of health departments as Civil Surgeons applies only to the vaccination assessment and only to refugees. Also, only health departments that have a physician or physicians meeting the legal definition of Civil Surgeon can participate in this designation, and accepting the designation is entirely voluntary on the part of health departments. A Civil Surgeon is legally defined as a licensed physician with no less than 4 years of professional experience. The completed “I-693 Form” must contain the official stamp or seal of office and be given to the refugee in a sealed envelope for presentation to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The form must also be signed by a health department physician who has at least 4 years of professional experience. The technical instructions for civil surgeons, in their entirety, are available on CDC’s website: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dq/civil.htm. The vaccination section of the technical instructions includes infor
