News 12 employees

April 14, 2021 at 10:41 p.m. EDT

Updated on:April 14, 2021 at 10:41 p.m. EDT

What are the ethical implications when international travelers come to America to get COVID-19 vaccines from areas that are rarely shot?

Our lead investigative reporter Tara Rosenblum has shown that the trend has opened a heated, ethical discussion.

News 12 asked one of the best medical ethics voices in the country to address the highly charged issue.

Arthur Caplan, director of the medical ethics department at NYU’s Grossman School of Medicine, said he thinks it’s wrong and it’s basically a benefit for the wealthy.

Michael Osterholm, one of the country’s top epidemiologists, says a “global” vaccination effort will ultimately make “us all” better off here at home.

“If this virus continues to spread unchecked in the low- and middle-income countries, they will spit out variants over the next few years that could definitely call our vaccines into question,” says Osterholm.

The number of states in News 12 that allow vaccine tourism changes almost daily.

There are currently 22 states with no residency requirements, but that list will expand to 23 next week if New Hampshire allows out-of-staters to be vaccinated.

Many heads of state defend their policies.

A Michigan Department of Health spokeswoman told News 12 that they know the vaccine is the way out of the pandemic and a chance to return to normal, and that no shot in the arm will be wasted.

New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut all have residency requirements for the vaccine.

In the News 12 investigation, we showed you travelers circumventing these requirements, but News 12 has not yet learned of a single case in which someone has been fined or charged for violating residence rules.

If you have a story to tell about vaccine tourism, Tara Rosenblum at News 12 wants to hear from you. You can reach them at TDROSENBLUM@news12.com.