Well-off Latin Americans are chartering planes and booking commercial flights to get the vaccine in the United States

The administration of United States (US) President Joe Biden is reportedly under tremendous pressure to send vaccines to the Latin American countries hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The White House is also increasingly realising that sending vaccines is the only option to deal with both the migrant crisis and the rise in vaccine tourism in the US. The news comes weeks after reports emerged that the White House might send vaccines as well as cash to Central American countries as part of a bid to prevent residents there from migrating to the US.

Reports say more than a million Mexicans might have visited the US in recent months in an attempt to secure a vaccine. A report on USA Today says, “people of means from Latin America are chartering planes, booking commercial flights, buying bus tickets, and renting cars to get the vaccine in the United States because of a lack of supply at home”.  

Peruvians heading to the US to get the jab

The American Embassy in Peru has confirmed that Peruvians can seek a US visa in order to get the jab. Peru’s presidential candidate, Hernando De Soto recently came under fire after he admitted that he had traveled to the US to get vaccinated.

Vaccine tourism critics say that it simply amplifies the injustices that are already so prevalent across the Latin American region.

Jason Marczak, director of the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center, told the Financial Times: “Unfortunately, it exacerbates the inequality perpetuated by COVID.”

A host of global health authorities, including the World Health Organization, has called for fair access to vaccines for developing countries, and events like VAX Live, a concert put together by Global Citizen and featuring celebrities like Ariana Grande and Prince Harry, renewed the focus on vaccination sharing.

However, so-called vaccine tourism is a controversial topic both in the US as well as Latin America. Travel between locations has been extremely limited during the pandemic as governments enforced tight border controls across the region.

Americans clamouring for White House to send vaccines to Latin American countries

But as the US moves forward with its vaccination programme, citizens are taking to the air again clamouring for the White House to send vaccines to Latin American countries. Analysts say promoting vaccination rates in Latin America could help break the chain of infections and is a major step toward preventing the virus from mutating further.

The porosity of land borders between nations like Mexico and the US, as well as the migrant crisis taking place in Venezuela, highlight the need for greater access to vaccines as a way of halting the spread.