Latin American tourists line up for vaccinations on Miami Beach beaches

María traveled from Honduras with her parents. Blanca came from Mexico. Like them, dozens of Latin American tourists they were vaccinated this Sunday against the coronavirus on the beach in Miami Beach, Florida, in a position that has immunized travelers with the single dose of J&J.

The tail lying on the sand under the midday subtropical sun. Visitors were logged into an online system and soon after they were already vaccinated and sitting under a canopy, drenched in sweat and waiting for their Florida vaccination card.

“In my country [el covid-19] it is getting out of hand and there is not much chance that we will have access to the vaccine anytime soon, ”said María Bonilla, a 40-year-old accountant who He arrived from Honduras on Saturday with his parents, 63 and 73.

The three of them lined up wearing masks. “We had to make the decision to seek a solution outside the country“said the girl.

The same decision was made by Blanca Díaz, a 50-year-old woman who arrived from Mexico on Friday. “There you can get infected at any time“he said.” They are just starting to vaccinate the elderly. “

AFP also spoke with Ecuadorian, Salvadoran and Venezuelan tourists.

The passages

The race for the vaccine is accompanied by a notable increase in the prices of plane tickets. For example, flights from Buenos Aires to Miami, which normally cost around $ 1,000, or less, are this month around 2000.

Bonilla said he was aware of the privilege he enjoyed to have been able to travel with his parents to be vaccinated. “It’s a shame. This division is already created that some have access to health and others do not. We, thank God, can. “

Democratic Commissioner David Richardson, who was overseeing the operation, said he had mixed feelings about it.

“The United States government should help as many people as possible“He told AFP.” My concern is that it appears that only people who can afford a plane ticket can come to the United States to be vaccinated. “

But “what about the poor in South America?” The official asked, asking the US government to send vaccines to these countries “so that everyone has access, not just those who can afford a plane ticket. “

The temporary vaccination post injected 175 vaccines this Sunday by Johnson & Johnson, a favorite brand among tourists because it only requires one dose.

This is the second weekend that the city of Miami Beach is setting up this stand on the beach. And it will continue to do so over the coming weekends.

Richardson said he was cleared in the morning to deliver this vaccine to all people over 18whatever your place of residence.

In theory, Florida only vaccinates people who reside in the state or who indicate – verbally – that they offer a service here. For ten days, it is no longer necessary to present a residence permit to prove it.

This flexibility has been implemented stimulate the vaccination of undocumented migrants, although in fact this also facilitates the arrival of more tourists.

The previous restrictions did not prevent vaccination tourism anyway. Since January, Rich Latin Americans bypassed creatively eliminated the residency requirement.

They did this by showing bank accounts with an address in the United States or temporary leases, from Airbnb for example, which were immediately canceled.

Over nine million people –43% out of a total of 21.5 million inhabitants– have received at least one dose of the vaccine in Florida, according to the Department of Health.

“At this point, people who haven’t been vaccinated are certainly not due to downtime,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday.

Source: AFP

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