Vaccine Tourists Fly To Get Vaccinated On US Beach
A long line of people snaked across the sand of Miami Beach, Florida, as dozens of travelers from Latin America waited their turn at a pop-up coronavirus vaccination booth.
There was a long line of people across the sand of Miami Beach, Florida, as dozens of travelers from Latin America waited their turn at a pop-up coronavirus vaccination booth. Visitors checked into an online system. No proof of residence was required and soon after received a free, single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine and a vaccination card. People have come from all over Latin America -- Ecuador, El Salvador, Venezuela. In these countries the vaccine rollout has been slow and hampered by supply shortages. Maria Bonilla, who arrived with her parents, aged 63 and 73 from Honduras said, "In my country, Covid-19 is getting out of hand and there's not much chance we'll have access to the vaccine soon. We decided to look for a solution outside the country." Blanca Diaz, 50 year old from Mexico said that her country has just started to vaccinate older people. The rush to find a vaccine also has a sharp rise in airfares. Flights from Buenos Aires to Miami, which usually cost around $1,000, have jumped to $2,000 in May.
Miami Beach city commissioner David Richardson, who oversaw the facility said he has mixed feelings about the vaccine tourists. He said, "I think we, the United States government, should help as many people as possible. My only concern is that people who can afford to buy airfare can come to the United States and get a vaccine now. And what about the poor people in South America?" On Sunday 9th May, the pop-up vaccination booth inoculated 175 people with the Johnson & Johnson shot. This vaccine is favored by tourists because it requires only one dose. The 8th May and 9th May weekend was the second weekend that the booth had been set up on the beach, and it will be back for the next few weekends. This easing of requirements was implemented to encourage vaccination and it also has encouraged vaccine tourists.
