Why Florida Is Drawing Vaccine Tourists

The state is not requiring proof of residence - or even US citizenship - for its limited supply of vaccination shots, leading many to accuse the governor (nicknamed 'Death Sentence' De Santis for his pandemic policies) of trying to encourage tourism even if it means many state residents are forced to wait for vaccination as a result. JL

Arian Campo-Flores reports in the Wall Street Journal:

Visitors from Toronto to New York to Buenos Aires have long flocked to Florida for sun, surf and shopping. Now they are coming for the Covid-19 vaccine, (some) making short-term visits, seizing the opportunity provided by Florida’s decision to make the vaccine available to people age 65 and older, including nonresidents. “We’re getting requests from clients that are willing to fly into Florida, if they have an appointment, and then fly home again on the same day.” The practice, which some are calling vaccine tourism, has drawn fire from some officials and residents.

Visitors from Toronto to New York to Buenos Aires have long flocked to Florida for sun, surf and shopping. Now they are coming for the Covid-19 vaccine.

Some of the arrivals are Americans or foreigners who own second homes in the state and reside here part-time. Others are making short-term visits, seizing the opportunity provided by Florida’s decision to make the vaccine available to people age 65 and older, including nonresidents. The practice, which some are calling vaccine tourism, has drawn fire from some officials and residents.

Interest is up sharply from Canadians who are looking to travel to the U.S. for vaccinations, according to Momentum Jets, a private jet service provider in Toronto.

“We’re getting requests now from clients that are willing to fly into Florida, if they have an appointment, and then fly home again on the same day,” said Janelle Brind, a company vice president. Costs for a charter flight range from $25,000 to $80,000 for a same-day round trip, she said.

Martin Firestone, an insurance broker and president of Travel Secure Inc. in Toronto, said about 30% of his clientele of so-called snowbirds decided to travel to the southern U.S. in November despite the pandemic.

He believes all of those clients have either received their first vaccine dose or are in the process of getting an appointment. “And they’re telling all their friends,” he said.

For many in Latin America, Miami has long been their unofficial U.S. capital. Ana Rosenfeld, a 66-year-old lawyer in Buenos Aires, took advantage of a trip to visit her daughter and new grandson in Miami to get a vaccination. At a vaccination site in Tampa, she said she provided her passport as identification and proof of travel health insurance.

“I’ve gotten many calls from people asking me how I did it,” she said. “I don’t believe I’ve taken a vaccine from anybody…I didn’t come in premeditated fashion to get vaccinated.”

Florida was one of the earliest states offering vaccines to people age 65 and older, the result of an executive order by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Dec. 23. The move, which came with little advance notice, led hospitals and local officials to scramble to set up vaccine appointment systems to handle the surge in demand. Websites frequently crash and phone lines are usually jammed.

“It’s very unstable and very frustrating for the population,” said Dr. Mary Jo Trepka, an epidemiologist at Florida International University. “There are many worried people who want a vaccine and can’t get it.”

Each medical facility and county receiving vaccine doses has created its own procedures to screen people seeking shots and to give them appointments. In its guidance to local officials, the state has specified that people who meet the current eligibility requirements, such as being 65 and older, can be vaccinated in Florida whether or not they are residents.

Miami’s Jackson Health System said that while it makes every effort to verify Florida residency, it isn’t turning away people 65 and older who live part-time in Florida and part-time in another state or country.

“Regardless of where someone lives, if they are spending time in our community—on our beaches, in our restaurants, in our malls—they can be spreaders of this virus,” it said.

Mr. DeSantis has made a distinction between people who own second homes in Florida and reside part-time in the state, and people who fly in and stay only briefly to get vaccinated.

“If they have a residence and they’re not just kind of flying by night for a week or two, I’m totally fine with that,” he said last week. “That’s a little bit different than somebody that’s just doing tourism and trying to come here. So we’re discouraging people to come to Florida just to get a vaccine.”

What the state can do to stop it, given the eligibility of nonresidents, is unclear.

The Florida Department of Health will investigate any reported misuse of the vaccine, said Jason Mahon, interim communications director. “It is absolutely not permitted for someone to come into Florida for one day to receive the vaccine and leave the next,” he said. “We ask that all suspected incidents be reported to the appropriate county health department immediately.”

Florida, and in particular Miami, is a financial, medical, business and tourism hub for wealthy Latin Americans from Mexico to Argentina. Many own apartments, do business or have relatives who live in the state.

What the state can do to stop it, given the eligibility of nonresidents, is unclear.

The Florida Department of Health will investigate any reported misuse of the vaccine, said Jason Mahon, interim communications director. “It is absolutely not permitted for someone to come into Florida for one day to receive the vaccine and leave the next,” he said. “We ask that all suspected incidents be reported to the appropriate county health department immediately.”

Florida, and in particular Miami, is a financial, medical, business and tourism hub for wealthy Latin Americans from Mexico to Argentina. Many own apartments, do business or have relatives who live in the state.

Yanina Latorre, a TV personality who competed in Argentina’s version of “Dancing with the Stars,” recently posted to her 1.5 million followers on Instagram how two fans helped her get a vaccine for her 80-year-old mother at Miami Gardens’s Hard Rock Stadium during their family vacation.

“We are vaccinating Mom,” she shouts with joy as a medical technician plunges a needle into her mother’s arm. “I feel like crying!”

Argentina has acquired some 300,000 doses of the Russian-made Sputnik vaccine that hasn’t been approved for use by people older than 60 years. Many in Argentina, however, have doubts about the efficacy and safety of the vaccine.

The stories of the two Argentine women caused a furor after they made the local news in Miami. “I’m totally in disagreement with people from out of town coming and getting the vaccine before City of Miami residents,” said Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. “I will look into all legal options to prevent this from happening.”

Ms. Latorre didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Dr. Carlos Espinal, a Colombian-born public-health expert at FIU, said he receives about four calls a day from friends and relatives in Colombia asking how to get vaccinations in Miami. He tells them to wait for the rollout of Colombia’s vaccination program, expected in February.

“It’s not a good idea to stimulate vaccine tourism,” he said. “It lowers the numbers of vaccines available to people here. It’s also unfair because only people who can afford to come here can get it.”

Some Florida residents are rankled by reports of people flying in from other states or countries to get vaccinated.

“It’s disgusting,” said Beth Emerson, a 76-year-old Miami Beach resident. “It’s not fine with me if everyone is jumping in and I have to wait six months. At my age, time is running out for me, and that’s not fair.”

Ms. Emerson said she has been trying unsuccessfully for about three weeks to get an appointment for a vaccine at a local hospital, calling repeatedly and leaving messages. So far, she hasn’t received a response.