Vaccine tourism: Mexicans who can afford it head north for a Covid shot Some hotels in Las Vegas are throwing in a free night for Covid vaccination travelers https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/coronavirus/vaccine-tourism-mexicans-head-north-for-a-covid-shot/ Dismayed by the slow rollout of Covid-19 shots at home, middle-class Mexicans are increasingly traveling to the U.S. as loose inoculation policies in some states fuel vaccine tourism. “It’s sort of common knowledge that you can get vaccinated in different places,” said Julia Reyes, a researcher who traveled from Mexico to Dallas this week to get her first jab and asked not to use her real name. “They don’t ask for anything because the policy is ‘we want everyone here to get vaccinated.’” Via WhatsApp groups or word of mouth, Mexicans with the ability to travel at the drop of a hat are swapping tips and packing planes, taking advantage of their proximity to a country with a bountiful vaccine supply and where doses in some places — including the border state of Texas — are going unused. Try Las Vegas, some advise — some hotels throw in a free night to people traveling to get their jabs. Claim to have a health condition like diabetes or hypertension, if anyone asks, others recommend. If vaccines have run out by 5 p.m., go back the next day at 7 a.m.; you can show your Mexican driver’s licence, others counsel. “I had to become a vaccine detective,” said one university professor, who asked not to be identified. Keen not to jump the queue, she only traveled to the U.S. once vaccinations for her age group had been authorized — information she discovered by checking websites on a daily basis. “My decision is based on a very clear-headed evaluation of the Mexican vaccine process — for people my age, it could take months — they are not even vaccinating all healthcare workers,” she said. Mexico has stepped up its vaccine distribution, hitting a record of nearly 554,000 doses on a single day this week, but Marcelo Ebrard, foreign minister, acknowledged reliance on foreign-made shots had caused “delays and difficulties.” Since becoming the first Latin American country to start vaccinating, on Christmas Eve last year, Mexico has administered more than 13 million doses, largely to front-line health workers, over 60s and some teachers. The government insists all over-60s will have had at least one dose by the end of this month, and vaccinations for teachers and over 50s will start soon. By contrast, the U.S., which has administered more than 200 million shots, is rapidly opening up vaccine eligibility. All states are now vaccinating anyone aged 16 or over or have promised to do so soon. Texas alone has administered more than 15 million shots. In some places supply is outstripping demand, with gaps opening up between the number of vaccines delivered and the number administered, especially in the south. Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that several states, especially in the south-east of the country, have more than 30% of their vaccines unused. In Texas, just under a quarter of the distributed vaccines have not yet been used. Part of the reason appears to be a reluctance to get vaccinated, which is particularly strong among rural Republicans. Polling by the health think tank the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) has found that this group are the most likely to say they will definitely not get a vaccine. Texas is among the places where Mexicans who fear a long wait back home are taking advantage. There are no residency requirements for vaccinations in the state, along with 20 others, according to KFF. “The plane here was packed,” said Reyes, who spotted someone she had seen on board at the Walmart where she was vaccinated. Football Club Monterrey, known as the Rayados, a soccer team based in northern Mexico, reportedly traveled en masse to Dallas in recent days to get the jab. “They [the medical staff] kept thanking us for getting the vaccine,” said the professor, who got her shot at a huge vaccination centre in another U.S. state, Utah. Alicia, another Mexican who also asked not to give her real name, said she signed up to “tons of accounts” before traveling to Texas. As soon as CVS pharmacy announced vaccinations were open, she jumped. Julien de Bellaigue, a French restaurant owner in Mexico City, also traveled to Texas this week for his first shot. “In Mexico, if I’d had to wait my turn — I’m 40 — I’d be waiting until spring 2022. In France, I might be eligible in the autumn, but I’m over here. I see a lot of people all day because of my job and every day I go to sleep saying ‘I hope I haven’t caught it,’” he said. One of his friends has even set up a business, charging $180 to get vaccine appointments for people traveling from Mexico. The Texas health department said the state’s distribution program was “intended for people who live in, work in, or spend a significant amount of time in Texas.” As of last week, 99.4% of people vaccinated in Texas were from the state, officials said, compared with 0.56% from out of state and 0.04% from another country. “The data shows it’s not a major issue,” the department said. “The need for Mexicans to go to the U.S. is 100%, it’s not for fun,” said Alicia, who has a health condition that makes her a high risk for Covid. Because of that, she could not take viral vector vaccines, and was concerned that the BioNTech/Pfizer jab may not be available. She is now fully vaccinated with both Pfizer doses. She did have misgivings: “Some people have said we’re abusing the U.S. government and we are, it’s true.” But Reyes said: “I think it’s an amazing policy — they really do care and want everyone going through their country to be vaccinated, whether illegal immigrants or tourists.” Mexico’s government has a political imperative to speed up its own vaccine program: midterm elections are in June, and President López Obrador hopes to tighten his grip on Congress and boost the number of states ruled by his party. According to a recent poll, 67% of those Mexicans who had already been vaccinated, or who had a relative who had, approved of the president, eight points higher than among the uninoculated. In a country where an estimated eight out of 10 Covid deaths have been among those with little or no education, vaccine tourism is only worsening the yawning divide between rich and poor. “Unfortunately, it exacerbates the inequality perpetuated by Covid,” said Jason Marczak, director of the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center. “Elites can buy a plane ticket and get the shot but the people who need it even more — because they can’t stay home and telework — can’t.”
Come visit Alaska... Alaska will offer COVID-19 vaccines to tourists starting June 1 https://autos.yahoo.com/autos/alaska-offer-covid-19-vaccines-134600298.html The state of Alaska will begin offering COVID-19 vaccinations to tourists arriving and departing the state through four of its biggest airports starting June 1, Gov. Mike Dunleavy said Friday. "The idea is that we have access to vaccines, so why not use them? So this is what we're saying to our tourists: If you come to Alaska — and this will start on June 1 — if you come to Alaska, you get a free vaccination," he said. The vaccinations will be offered at the Anchorage, Juneau, Ketchikan and Fairbanks airports, said Heidi Hedberg, director of the Alaska Division of Public Health. She said a "soft rollout" will take place for five days at the end of April in Anchorage to judge interest. "Right now, we have plenty of vaccines for all Alaskans," she said when asked whether there is enough vaccine for the plan. The vaccination program is part of a broader effort to encourage Alaska tourism. Other parts of the effort include a multimillion-dollar tourism advertising campaign and a request for $150 million in economic relief for tourism-related businesses. The relief program would require approval from the Alaska Legislature. The advertising campaign would use already-authorized money, according to information provided by the governor's office. In a typical year, most Alaska tourists arrive in the state by cruise ship. Because of COVID-19, large cruise ships have been halted for a second consecutive summer. With no large ships bound for the state and overland travel blocked by Canadian quarantine rules, various organizations and corporations have been encouraging independent travelers to fly to the state instead. Details about the state's advertising campaign are still sparse, but according to the governor's office, money from last year's federal CARES Act will be used to "place targeted advertisements on national television programs and other means of communication throughout the spring and summer, encouraging Americans to visit Alaska as a COVID-safe destination." Other CARES Act money will be given to nonprofits that boost tourism, the governor's office said. The amount and timing of the grants was not immediately available; a spokeswoman for the governor's office said the administration "wants to be considerate that the process complies with all Alaska laws." The Alaska Travel Industry Association operates the state's existing tourism marketing program. Its president and CEO, Sarah Leonard, said that it isn't too late for a marketing push to make a difference in Alaska's tourist season. "Due to the pandemic, many travelers are on a shorter booking window than normal. They're waiting until they're more certain about the vaccine rollout and their own health and safety. But that time is now," she said. She said targeting the advertising campaign will be important. "A successful marketing program is not always about reaching the masses, but reaching those who are more inclined to be Alaska travelers," she said. Details of the aid package for tourism-related businesses are still under development. Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer will be speaking with affected communities over the next several weeks, he said, and the administration will incorporate information from those conversations into the final plan. More is known about the vaccination program, which has been under development since at least late March. Hedberg said the plan is envisioned as a method to get vaccines to both Alaskans and incoming visitors. "The vaccination clinics are actually going to be outside of security. And this is the beauty: So for Alaskans that are coming to welcome their family members that live out of state, they can get vaccinated at the airport," she said. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be used, she said. Each requires a second dose several weeks after the first. "We recognize that when individuals come up to Alaska, that they may not stay for 21 days or 28 days," she said, and while she would encourage tourists to come to Alaska, they can get their second shot at home. If they do stay in the state, she said, they would be able to get the second shot at any vaccination clinic, not just those taking place at the airports. "Right now what we're saying is today's the day. Alaskans, please get educated, please get vaccinated, and starting June 1, it's going to be opened up for those tourists," she said. The program is open to international visitors as well as Americans. "You have some places — even Japan, I think they have 1% or 2% of the population vaccinated," Dunleavy said. "Look at Alaska, 65 and older, 66% of our population's vaccinated." "We're going to now open this up so that it's more available to all Alaskans and people coming in at the airports," he said.
This vacation hotspot is offering vaccinations to visitors https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/maldives-offers-vaccines-to-visitors/index.html It was one of the first countries to fully reopen to travelers, and now Maldives is striving to be ahead of the game when it comes to vaccine tourism. Officials for the Indian Ocean destination have announced plans to offer vaccinations to tourists on arrival in a bid to lure more visitors over. Dr. Abdulla Mausoom, the country's minister for tourism, has confirmed that the Maldives is developing a "3V tourism" scheme, which would allow tourists to "Visit, Vaccinate and Vacation." According to Mausoom, the country plans to offer two doses of the vaccine to visitors, which means those who sign up for it would need to remain in the Maldives for several weeks. He hopes the program will help boost tourism on the Indian Ocean island archipelago, which had an average of 1.7 million visitors a year before the pandemic. However, international travelers keen to book a "vaxication" package to the Maldives will need to wait, at least for now. The "3V" scheme will not go ahead until the country's entire population, estimated at just under 550,000, is fully vaccinated. "The main idea of tourism being open is to provide a reasonably safe tourism with minimum inconvenience," Mausoom recently told CNBC International. "So once the country gets vaccinated, then we will move on to '3V' tourism." He went on to confirm that around 53% of the population has received their first dose of the vaccine, including 90% of front-line tourism workers. Data from the Michigan State University indicates that tourism contributes 28% of the Maldives's GDP, one of the highest totals in the world. In February, Thoyyib Mohame, managing director of the Maldives Marketing & PR Corporation, told CNN Travel that the country has received 555,494 visitors in 2020, surpassing its adjusted arrival forecast of 500,000. "Our biggest advantage is the unique geographical features of Maldives," he said, explaining that the fact that the guests can be dispersed across its different islands had proved particularly alluring to travelers and also meant that social distancing measures were slightly easier to maintain. "We promoted the destination as a safe haven to the tourists." Strong supply Mausoom hopes the vaccine progam will push visitor numbers up even further, but are the jabs coming from, and will the Maldives be able to supply enough to meet demand from international travelers? According to the minister, the country has received vaccine donations from India, China, as well as the World Health Organization's Covax scheme and is currently awaiting an additional order from Singapore. "I don't think supply's a problem in Maldives because our population is relatively small," he told CNBC. "The quota we get from the various organizations and friendly nations also will help." However, he did not specify if travelers would be charged for receiving the vaccine. At present, there are at least 500 resorts and guest houses in the Maldives that are open to international visitors, but its capital city of Malé remains off-limits. The Maldives closed its borders in late March, but officials opted to fully reopen to all international travelers with no restrictions in July. While visitors have been required to produce a negative Covid-19 test upon arrival since September, the destination has continued to welcome travelers over the past few months with cases remaining relatively low. As of April 15, the Maldives has reported a total of 25,939 coronavirus cases and 67 deaths.
Latin American Vaccine Tourists Flock to Texas for Coveted COVID Jabs “Vaccine tourists” from Mexico and other Latin American countries are booking trips to Texas to get their jabs as rollouts in their home countries stall. https://www.thedailybeast.com/latin-american-vaccine-tourists-flock-to-texas-for-coveted-covid-jabs Latin America’s monied and middle classes are flocking in ever-increasing numbers to Texas for a much-coveted vaccine jab, which remains elusive in their home countries. María, a 38-year-old psychologist in Mexico City who spoke to The Daily Beast under a pseudonym, was tired of waiting for the government-run vaccination program to announce her age group. She also worried about her 68-year-old father who suffers high blood pressure and is overweight—both COVID-19 comorbidities—and was diagnosed with pericardial effusion. So Maria decided to travel to San Antonio with her husband, father, and father-in-law for vaccinations. She stayed with friends, received her first dose of Pfizer on March 1, and returned three weeks later for her second. “[The health-care workers] were super nice,” said Maria. “And we only had to give them our [Mexican] passports as identification.” Maria subsequently advised 15 friends on getting vaccinated in San Antonio. “For me, it was worth pushing up the process and, having gone, a lot of friends—many, many friends—are now going, too,” she said. “Four really good friends went this weekend. And today we were making appointments for another friend.” Although Mexico was the first country to receive vaccines in Latin America, its campaign subsequently sputtered due to production glitches, crushing demand, and a policy of not vaccinating all medical workers. Mexico has only fully vaccinated 2.6 percent of its population of 130 million—with much of Latin America vaccinating at the same rate. Official figures on the number of Latin Americans heading north for vaccinations have not been reported, and—in an effort to avoid the wrath of a populist president quick to brand opponents as “snobs”—many prefer discretion when speaking of their vaccine tourism adventures. But the signs are all there: airfares to Texas from Mexican cities have surged, and WhatsApp groups dedicated to trading tips on getting vaccinated abroad have been formed in recent weeks, according to details shared with The Daily Beast. Texas has apparently become a particularly popular destination for vaccine tourists, likely because the state doesn’t require proof of residency for receiving a vaccination. University Health in San Antonio—where María received her vaccination—now allows patients to register for their jabs with a Canadian or Mexican address. With U.S. customs, Maria advises people to be truthful about their motives for their trip, saying, “The problem is when you lie and tell them, ‘I’m not here for a vaccination.’” A 40-year-old restauranteur who owns a bakery and a breakfast cafe in Mexico City told The Daily Beast that he and his wife traveled to Dallas last week, where they received their first dose of the Moderna vaccine at a local Walmart. The restaurant owner requested anonymity because he didn’t want to jeopardize their appointments for the second doses in three weeks. “It was super fast,” the restauranteur said during a phone interview Tuesday morning. “No one was ahead of us. From what I understand, a lot of people in Texas don’t want the vaccine.” He and his wife returned to Mexico City the same day—and local news outlets have also reported Mexicans flying in via private plane to Lubbock and Amarillo, where they are transported to a local CVS and a government-run vaccination site, respectively. “I interact with a lot of people on a daily basis,” the restauranteur said. “I want the vaccine to protect my family. Flying to Texas for the vaccine is not something people speak about publicly around here, but it’s happening. If anyone asks me, I would tell them to go.” Mexico’s COVID czar Hugo López-Gatell says Mexicans aged 50 to 59 should be vaccinated by the end of June. But the restauranteur “didn’t want to wait anymore,” adding that he thought the “the Chinese and Russian vaccines” available in Mexico “are not as effective as the ones made in the U.S.” The restauranteur said he has a friend who is charging Mexican citizens to sign them up for vaccine appointments via Walmart’s online registration website. “For me, he did it for free,” the 40-year-old said. “It’s a service business that he launched.” María said she started thinking of a U.S. vaccine trip after hearing López-Gatell—who was stricken with the virus earlier this year and was seen strolling his neighborhood while still infected—muse about combining different vaccinations for the first and second doses of the vaccine. She didn’t like the sound of that. Then there was the sense that her age group wouldn’t be called for many more months. “Obviously it wasn’t going to be our turn until 2022,” she said. “I’m 38 so it wouldn’t be my turn until the very end so if I had the chance to go [to the U.S.] I was going to do it. And it’s not illegal.” Health analysts say it’s not unusual for the rich and influential to seek medical treatment in the United States—though many middle-class Mexicans are making the trip, too. A Monterrey professional soccer team traveled to Dallas earlier this month for vaccinations, according to Mexican media reports. Jaime Square, a professor in the northeastern city of Tampico, got vaccinated in late December in El Paso, Texas. But he says it was luck; his son works as a physician and some of the staff at his clinic declined their vaccinations—leaving leftover doses for Square and his wife. He spent an extra month there to get the second dose of the Moderna vaccine. Mexico’s vaccination campaign only arrived in Square’s hometown last week. Lines of seniors formed 24 hours in advance he said and the line of cars for the drive-through vaccines, he said, “was the longest I’ve ever seen.” An American expat in the Lake Chapala region—home to a large population of U.S. and Canadian retirees—described a similar situation. “It was an early morning disaster: long lines for four hours and some people were turned away. The system to verify people was slow and all that to get the Chinese vaccine,” the expat said. “Some gringos want to bail out of their first shot of Sinovac and switch.” His wife traveled to Houston, where she used to live, to get her jab. The expat had booked an appointment at a Walmart pharmacy across the border in suburban San Diego for his own vaccination, but wasn’t able to get it after the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was pulled from the market. The expat, a retired military officer, later found out about a drive-through vaccination operation in nearby Guadalajara and was promptly vaccinated. “It was the best you could get,” he said. “It took 60 minutes and there was a free Macarena dance show,” he said of the boisterous scene of staff dancing as they directed traffic. But Mexico’s vaccine strategy has raised some uncomfortable questions aimed at Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who was vaccinated on television on April 20. He didn’t wear a mask during the vaccination, which was applied by military personnel. Health Secretary Hugo Alcocer hovered by him, also maskless, despite being a prominent physician prior to entering politics. On the same day as Mexico’s president was vaccinated, the Health Secretariat released excess mortality figures, which put the country’s true COVID-19 death toll at 444,000. While the government has already started vaccinating teachers—a key constituency courted by politicians ahead of elections this summer—many workers in private health facilities are still waiting for their turn. “Many of our parents and grandparents are vaccinated, which is great. But there are still first-line health-care personnel to be vaccinated... and you start vaccinating teachers? Leaves you wondering what this is all about,” said a neurologist in Monterrey, who plans on traveling to Texas for a vaccination when their U.S. visa is renewed. “We have the highest physician mortality due to COVID-19.” The neurologist shared the details of a colleague, who said in a private Facebook post from her vaccination site in Texas that she had “begged to get a Sinovac dose in Mexico,” but was denied. It’s not only Mexicans who are traveling to the U.S. for vaccinations. Carlos, a journalist from Colombia who spoke to The Daily Beast using an alias, bought a flight to Houston with his girlfriend in April to get his vaccine. “I went to Texas cause they said it was legal there for ‘any person over 16.’ Unlike Florida where they said it was for residents only, said Carlos. “With the possibility that at some point the U.S. might cancel flights from Colombia, I decided to do it ASAP.” He added: “If the government of Colombia is not going to get me a vaccine soon and I have the resources to get one, then I might as well solve the problem myself. I'm not going to sit around here waiting for the government to solve the problem for me.”
From what I heard the Mexicans flying into Texans are getting vaccines at many borer towns like Laredo and Texicana where locals already got vaccinated or are just not signing up and vaccines would go to waste. I know a few Mexicans who did that because it would still be 4-5 months out to get one at home. I am sure a lot of Texans who think the Covid is a hoax and not really a big deal feel the same way about the vaccine...