The 17 people who are detained and the five employees of the Farmville Detention Center are in a situation none of us want to be in. They have been diagnosed with mumps, an illness that can cause serious complications and that vaccinations have helped to reduce.

While perhaps in some instances, blame has been placed on those detained, people charged with entering the United States illegally, shouldn’t management at the Farmville Detention Center, the Immigration Centers of America (ICA) or the Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) department be held accountable in this situation?

An ICE official confirmed that neither those detained nor those employed at the Farmville Detention Center are required to be immunized.

An employee’s immunization record, or lack thereof, is reportedly not a consideration when interacting with hundreds of fellow employees or those detained.

The article in the Wednesday, June 12, edition of The Herald notes that medical personnel are present at the detention center. However, personnel at the facility can only do so much to contain an outbreak.

The registered agent of Immigration Centers of America-Farmville LLC is Russell Harper, managing member of Harper Associates, LLC based in Richmond.

The concern now, the one being addressed by those at the center, is protecting those detained, the employees, and the public by making sure they are protected or vaccinated from the illness.

EMILY HOLLINGSWORTH is a staff reporter for The Farmville Herald and Farmville Newsmedia LLC. Her email address is Emily.Hollingsworth@FarmvilleHerald.com.