Eagerness to Resume Holidays Encourages Vaccination Tourism in Florida

Since countries across the world have started vaccinating citizens, people have started travelling to places where vaccine shots are being distributed without strict age and residency demarcations. This trend of vaccination tourism is gaining popularity due to the huge disparity between the demand and supply chain of vaccines.

While most countries are still estimating an organised way to administer vaccine shots, Florida’s health authorities are looking for ways to control vaccination tourism. Since the US’ state is offering shots to both part-time or full-time residents, people from New York and other US states are moving to Florida for getting early vaccination.

To curb this vaccination tourism, Florida has issued new health guidelines stating that Covid-19 vaccine distribution will be limited to permanent and seasonal residents. The decision has been taken post several Floridians raised concerns about being forced to wait in hours-long lines while non-residents got the vaccine quite easily. Some have also complained of having trouble in booking slots via confusing and flailing websites.

Highlighting the lack of consistent federal guidance, a vaccine expert and the dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine — Dr. Peter Hotez said that vaccination tourism highlights the flaws and failures of the slow disposal of federal vaccine. He further stated, “If we’re still in this situation a month from now, we’re going to be in a lot of trouble”.

Since Florida was the first state to open vaccine doors for 65 or older people, this state has witnessed an issue that is likely to start in other regions quite soon. Most parts of the US are still asking for residency proofs and some are asking for details like mail, ID or rent statements. Many states are adhering to CDC vaccine committee’s recommendations to give vaccines to adults aged 75 and above and frontline essential workers.

According to a Professor of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University — Dr. William Schaffner, all people who are commuting across the state lines to get vaccination do frustrate New Yorkers. Speaking from a public health perspective, he said, “Rather than ‘it’s my vaccine, not yours,’ (getting) vaccine in arms is what we want”.

Health experts claim that the trend of vaccination tourism is a good problem to have in the long-run. Since people are eager to get vaccination in the US, it would be easier to build herd immunity much faster. This trend of vaccination tourism has gripped roots not just in Florida, but also in Miami, Colorado, New York, Hawaii.

Following vaccination tourism, Ohio and neighbouring states haven’t put any restrictions on giving vaccine shots. As per data from the Ohio Department of Health, over 17,000 people from other states have already been vaccinated in Ohio. Although health experts are still pondering the efficacy and benefits of vaccination tourism, it seems to be beneficial in the long-run.