More than 235 million people have been vaccinated against the coronavirus in the United States, however, not all have been Americans, since the high demand for the vaccine in low-income countries has caused a new type of tourism: Vaccine tourism.
And although in some states of the American Union they do not require residency to be inoculated , the truth is that in many others this is a requirement, so if you prove that you are not a resident in these states, you could lose even your visa.
A clear example of this is the state of Florida, where vaccination is open to all adults who work in the state or own property, however, recently, North Miami Mayor Anthony F. DeFillipo offered free vaccines to Latin American citizens. In fact, the news had already been confirmed by the consulates of Peru, Colombia and Honduras; but, his decision caused such controversy that days later the city retracted.
Anthony F. DeFillipo, the mayor who offered free vaccines in North Miami Beach and later regretted
“ In North Miami Beach it is possible to have the Pfizer injection for free. This is what we have been doing and we have had thousands and thousands of people who have come through our door. Tourists only need their passport and the address of the hotel or consulate to get vaccinated ”, explained the mayor when announcing the news.
Days later, the mayor’s office issued a new statement to apologize for the information revealed and stated that only residents can receive the vaccine, since this corresponds to a state order imposed by the Florida Department of Health.
“There has been a lot of confusion about eligibility and residency requirements both here in Florida and in other states, The Florida Department of Health is the authority that oversees the distribution of vaccines and determines the eligibility criteria for full-time and seasonal Florida residents. The Department has the final say on whether international visitors can be vaccinated in Florida and the criteria they must meet. The city apologizes for the misunderstanding and any confusion it may have caused, ”the statement read.