Travel Daily Media

TDM AWARDS - NOMINATE NOW!

Vaccine tourism: Travelling to US to get COVID-19 shot

Despite the hiccup on Johnson & Johnson, the vaccination rate in the United States is steadily on the rise. According to the latest data The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, about 146.2 million people have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Sites are administering about 2.55 million doses per day on average.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said in other countries. Poorer countries trail behind the vaccination rate. Limited supplies are also prompted to prioritise the frontliners and the vulnerable population. People desperate to get vaccinated are now flying to the United States to receive protection against COVID-19, and we are seeing affluent people flying across the world just to jump in line for vaccine.

In the past, Americans are the ones travelling to other countries to receive a cheaper medical procedure. The current situation gives rise to vaccine tourism, which is travelling to another country just to get inoculated.

The main question is, is this legal? Some countries like the UK are actively preventing travellers from outside the country to get vaccinated. In the UK, you are required to get the vaccine through your doctor and you have to confirm all your personal details which include your address. While things are loosely monitored in the US, there is no guarantee that you can get the COVID-19 vaccine. Moreover, regulations vary by state.

The table below from immigration website Visa Place shows states where you can get vaccinated.

Alabama No residency required
Alaska Has residency requirements but is open to people who work in the state. Will ask for proof of employment
Arizona No residency required
Arkansas Open to people who work in the state
California No residency required
Colorado No residency required
Connecticut Open to people who live out of state but work in the state. Must show proof
Delaware Open to people who live out of state but work in the state. Must show proof
Florida Open to people who own a property or work in the state. Must show proof
Georgia Open to people who live part-time in the state and live out of state but work in the state. Must show proof
Hawaii Has residency requirements, includes part-time residents and “snowbirds”
Idaho Requires proof of residency or work in the state in order to get vaccine
Illinois Has residency requirements but includes part-time residents
Indiana Has residency requirements but is open to people who work in the state. Will ask for proof of employment
Iowa No residency required
Kansas Residency required – Decisions made on a county-by-county basis
Kentucky Has residency requirements with exceptions for out-of-state nurses who work in the state
Louisiana No residency required
Maine Residency required – must be a Maine resident or work in the state. Proof is required
Maryland No residency required
Massachusetts Open to people who live or work in the state
Michigan No residency required
Minnesota No residency required
Mississippi Has residency requirements, but open to residents and people who live out of state and work in the state such as nurses
Missouri Has residency requirements
Montana No residency required
Nebraska Residency required
Nevada No residency required
New Hampshire No residency required after April 19.
New Jersey Residency required but is open to people who work or go to school in the state
New Mexico No residency required
New York Residency required
North Carolina No residency required
North Dakota No residency required
Ohio No residency required
Oklahoma No residency required
Oregon Residency required but open to people who work or attend school in the state
Pennsylvania No residency required
Rhode Island Residency required but also open to people who work or go to school in the state
South Carolina No residency required
South Dakota Residency requirements for now until the vaccine is widespread
Tennessee No residency required
Texas No residency required
Utah Residency required
Vermont Residency required but also open to people who work in the state
Virginia No residency required
Washington Residency required but also open to people who work in the state
West Virginia Residency required but also open to people who work in the state
Wisconsin Residency required but also open to people who work and study in the state
Wyoming Has residency restrictions

 

Meanwhile, Maldives’ tourism minister Abdulla Mausoom said that Maldives will soon offer vaccine on arrival as part of its 3Vs strategy – Visit, Vaccinate, Vacation – to revive the tourism industry. We are seeing that vaccines will soon become one of the requirements for travel. Many experts are saying that vaccination is the key to kickstart the travel industry.

Join The Community

Join The Community

TDM

x Studio

Connect with your clients by working with our in-house brand studio, using our expertise and media reach to help you create and craft your message in video and podcast, native content and whitepapers, webinars and event formats.

Vaccine tourism: Travelling to US to get COVID-19 shot

Despite the hiccup on Johnson & Johnson, the vaccination rate in the United States is steadily on the rise. According to the latest data The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, about 146.2 million people have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Sites are administering about 2.55 million doses per day on average.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said in other countries. Poorer countries trail behind the vaccination rate. Limited supplies are also prompted to prioritise the frontliners and the vulnerable population. People desperate to get vaccinated are now flying to the United States to receive protection against COVID-19, and we are seeing affluent people flying across the world just to jump in line for vaccine.

In the past, Americans are the ones travelling to other countries to receive a cheaper medical procedure. The current situation gives rise to vaccine tourism, which is travelling to another country just to get inoculated.

The main question is, is this legal? Some countries like the UK are actively preventing travellers from outside the country to get vaccinated. In the UK, you are required to get the vaccine through your doctor and you have to confirm all your personal details which include your address. While things are loosely monitored in the US, there is no guarantee that you can get the COVID-19 vaccine. Moreover, regulations vary by state.

The table below from immigration website Visa Place shows states where you can get vaccinated.

Alabama No residency required
Alaska Has residency requirements but is open to people who work in the state. Will ask for proof of employment
Arizona No residency required
Arkansas Open to people who work in the state
California No residency required
Colorado No residency required
Connecticut Open to people who live out of state but work in the state. Must show proof
Delaware Open to people who live out of state but work in the state. Must show proof
Florida Open to people who own a property or work in the state. Must show proof
Georgia Open to people who live part-time in the state and live out of state but work in the state. Must show proof
Hawaii Has residency requirements, includes part-time residents and “snowbirds”
Idaho Requires proof of residency or work in the state in order to get vaccine
Illinois Has residency requirements but includes part-time residents
Indiana Has residency requirements but is open to people who work in the state. Will ask for proof of employment
Iowa No residency required
Kansas Residency required – Decisions made on a county-by-county basis
Kentucky Has residency requirements with exceptions for out-of-state nurses who work in the state
Louisiana No residency required
Maine Residency required – must be a Maine resident or work in the state. Proof is required
Maryland No residency required
Massachusetts Open to people who live or work in the state
Michigan No residency required
Minnesota No residency required
Mississippi Has residency requirements, but open to residents and people who live out of state and work in the state such as nurses
Missouri Has residency requirements
Montana No residency required
Nebraska Residency required
Nevada No residency required
New Hampshire No residency required after April 19.
New Jersey Residency required but is open to people who work or go to school in the state
New Mexico No residency required
New York Residency required
North Carolina No residency required
North Dakota No residency required
Ohio No residency required
Oklahoma No residency required
Oregon Residency required but open to people who work or attend school in the state
Pennsylvania No residency required
Rhode Island Residency required but also open to people who work or go to school in the state
South Carolina No residency required
South Dakota Residency requirements for now until the vaccine is widespread
Tennessee No residency required
Texas No residency required
Utah Residency required
Vermont Residency required but also open to people who work in the state
Virginia No residency required
Washington Residency required but also open to people who work in the state
West Virginia Residency required but also open to people who work in the state
Wisconsin Residency required but also open to people who work and study in the state
Wyoming Has residency restrictions

 

Meanwhile, Maldives’ tourism minister Abdulla Mausoom said that Maldives will soon offer vaccine on arrival as part of its 3Vs strategy – Visit, Vaccinate, Vacation – to revive the tourism industry. We are seeing that vaccines will soon become one of the requirements for travel. Many experts are saying that vaccination is the key to kickstart the travel industry.

Join The Community

Stay Connected

Facebook

101K

Twitter

3.9K

Instagram

1.7K

LinkedIn

19.9K

YouTube

0.2K

TDM

x Studio

Connect with your clients by working with our in-house brand studio, using our expertise and media reach to help you create and craft your message in video and podcast, native content and whitepapers, webinars and event formats.

Scroll to Top