Vaccine tourism? ‘It is not the answer,’ PAHO says –

Giovanni Torres and his wife Angela flew from Bogotá to New York. Their goal: to get vaccinated against Covid-19, just like the tourists from Mexico, Honduras, Ecuador, El Salvador and Venezuela who were interviewed by AFP and were waiting for their dose on the beach in Miami.

Costa Rica travel agencies According to reports, expect 10,000 ticos to visit the United States to get their recordings.

For the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), a trip to other countries for vaccination does not solve the Covid 19 crisis. it just proves the inequality in access to cans across the continent.

“We don’t have the data to confirm how many Latin Americans are traveling to the US to get access to vaccines,” said Carissa Etienne, director of PAHO, the regional office of the World Health Organization (WHO), on Wednesday.

However, she insisted on the issue: “Let me say that vaccine tourism is not the solution, it is a symptom of the inequality in vaccine distribution in America.”

In the Americas, home to more than 1 billion people, 384 million have received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine, of which more than 258 million are in the US, according to PAHO.

At a press conference, Etienne said it was “unacceptable” that those who cannot pay for international travel, that is, “the vast majority of people in our region”, cannot be vaccinated.

“Vaccines can mean the difference between life and death and shouldn’t be a privilege of rich countries or rich people, but a right of all,” she said.

“Ultimately, vaccine tourism exacerbates inequality,” she said.

To counter this, PAHO is working with the global Covax mechanism, sponsored by the WHO, to ensure equitable access to vaccines, and with suppliers to expedite deliveries. It also promotes donations and regional manufacturing.

“Given the epidemiological burden in our region and the high mortality rate from Covid in many countries, Latin America and the Caribbean should be a priority for vaccination to save lives and prevent future outbreaks,” she said.