Miami is just one of several cities where vaccine supplies are already limited. COVID vaccine vacation packages continue to attract tourists to Miami-Dade MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. - The free distribution of COVID vaccines continued Monday at a temporary drive-through site. Espinal estimates hundreds of thousands of Colombians have come for vaccination this year, not just to South Florida but other U.S. destinations like New York. "We just want to make sure it's for Floridians," DeSantis said Tuesday. A quarter of its population is now fully vaccinated and what helped turned things around may have a lot to do with South Florida and Colombian "vaccine tourists" like Juliana Meja. Residents of foreign countries have obtained COVID vaccinations in Florida, taking advantage of the state's loose rules on who can get a shot. "Yeah, I think the best thing we could do would be assisting other countries to meet their rollout and to supply them with vaccines to meet the needs of their population so that we don't create this market where the wealthy and able-bodied can travel," said Cohen. Ron DeSantis says he doesn't want out-of-state residents coming to Florida to get their COVID-19 vaccines, which are in limited supply, and is pushing a new restriction on the vaccine . In Florida, people 65 and older, health care personnel with direct patient contact, and residents and staff of long-term care facilities are prioritized for vaccine distribution, according to the state's Department of Health. Vaccine tourism is a murky business where there's often more hype than actual travel. Travel writer Marcia DeSanctis took the slow route across the Canadian Rockies in winter and saw plenty of natural splendors along the way. / CBS News. Sign up for notifications from Insider! They've since returned to New York, but they plan to spend the rest of the winter in the Sunshine State after they get their second shots. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. Out of those 1.1 million people, 39,000 reside outside of Florida. You should not have any out-of-pocket cost for getting the vaccineor a booster. Some vaccination sites ask for proof of identity or eligibility. 1. Pointing to limited amounts of COVID-19 vaccine, Florida Surgeon General Scott Rivkees issued an advisory Thursday aimed at limiting vaccinations to health care workers and residents, including so-called snowbirds who live in the state part time. Learn more. Suddenly in May, nearly 170,000 Colombians traveled to the U.S. a 75% increase over the previous month. Dr. Pino says he has no concerns about vaccine tourism. Subscribe to Lonely Planet newsletters and promotions. Vaccine tourists are traversing the US to get a COVID-19 shot. Here are Proof of residency would include a drivers license, state ID, mortgage or lease document, utility bills or other forms as spelled out by the state. And that setup is part of what has set the preconditions for this instance of vaccine tourism.". While some of those making the trip own second homes in the state, it was allegedthat others were travelers making short-term visits. Note that the Novavax booster can only be used as a first booster shot; if youve already gotten one or several boosters, you cannot receive a Novavax booster. In this year in my house I've received 20 people," said Colombian expat Maria Eugenia Arbelaez. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Dr. Carlos Espinal, a Colombian who heads the Global Health Consortium at Florida International University's Robert Stempel College of Public Health, was himself critical of vaccine tourism early on and has since changed his mind. This only applies to individuals receiving their first dose. People are traveling out of state to get COVID-19 vaccines. In January, reports emerged of British elites jetting off to the United Arab Emirates for month-long "vaccine holidays" that included two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine for a cool $55,670 (40,000 pounds sterling). Another vaccine tourist from Bogot, Carolina Vsquez, said she was stunned during her visit earlier this year that more South Floridians werent taking advantage of their vaccine availability. Vaccine seekers may travel due to work,. The Department recommends that children with underlying conditions are the best candidates for the COVID-19 vaccine. The South Florida Sun Sentinel reported the move follows several instances of people flying into the Sunshine State to get the vaccine from out-of-state and even from other countries, including from Argentina and Canada (taking a helicopter across the border from Canada to travel south for the winter has become quite popular during the pandemic). WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7 | Adults aged 18 and up are eligible to receive the Moderna booster, while anyone 12 and up are eligible to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech booster. We were thinking we werent going to get vaccinated until 2022 like late 2022," said Meja, "which is what triggered the decision to go to the U.S., READ MORE: Aid in the Time of COVID: Young Latino, Caribbean Expats Help Their Native Countries. Join us for fun and educational activities near you. "Canadians who had no intentions of going down in their traditional NovemberApril period have now become interested because of the [vaccine] availability and are now starting to make arrangements to head south," Martin Firestone, president of Travel Secure, told the outlet. A lot of people have also brought up the topic of snowbirds, or people who come to Florida from the north to escape from the freezing temperatures every year. That is, Colombians like Meja have gone back relaying observations such as the U.S.s lack of vaccination red tape. Novavax: Authorized for adults age 12 and older. The state's broad vaccination plan has attracted travelers hoping to take advantage from near and far. "That's a little bit different than somebody that's just doing tourism and trying to come here. Florida's new COVID-19 vaccination rules take aim at 'vaccine tourism' Meja, who runs an immigration counseling firm in Bogot, is 35. Florida State Surgeon General Dr. Scott Rivkees issued a public health advisory on Thursday requiring those distributing the vaccine to verify the patient is indeed a resident of the state and eligible to receive the vaccine there.