It’s the newest form of traveling during the pandemic: crossing state lines — or international waters — in hopes of getting the vaccine.

At the beginning of the U.S. vaccine rollout, essential workers and people 75 and older were the first groups with priority access.

Now, the U.S. includes more than 50 vaccination plans as each state has devised its own rules around who gets priority for a dose, according to The Guardian.

In New Jersey, smokers can receive the vaccine before teachers do — and proof that you’re a smoker is not required. In New York, psychologists and psychiatrists can get the vaccine along with essential workers.

As regulations change on who can get the vaccine and when they can get it, Americans are traveling near and far to get it.

Florida is a popular vaccine tourism destination due to the high priority given to those aged 65 and older in addition to other vague eligibility requirements that attracted travelers from all over to take advantage of Florida’s vaccine rollout.

Vaccine seekers have flocked to Florida from Canada and Argentina, as well as New York and other states, according to the Journal. However, the state last week pushed back on international vaccine tourists with a public health advisory from the surgeon general that requires proof of state residency to get a shot.

The trend has sparked some big spending from those who travel internationally in hopes of securing a shot.

Gem Tours & Travels, an Indian travel agency, announced US$2,000 tours to the U.S. including a vaccine shot, NBC News reported.

Zenith Holidays, based in Kolkata, allows customers to fill out a registration form under the “Vaccine Tourism” tab on their website. The company says that within an hour of your response, a member of their support team will get back to you.

Janelle Brind, vice president of Momentum Jets — a private jet service provider in Toronto, told the Journal she’s seen interest from Canadians looking to travel to the U.S. for vaccines.

“We’re getting requests now from clients that are willing to fly into Florida if they have an appointment, and then fly home again on the same day,” said Brind, who projected costs for a charter flight range from US$25,000 to US$80,000 for a same-day round trip.

Words to Learn 相关词汇

【报告 】bào gào advisory an official announcement that contains advice, information, or a warning

【包机】bāojī charter flight a non-scheduled commercial flight which can be utilized for personal use

因为各州疫苗分配不均且接种疫苗规定都各不相同，成千上万美国人跨州打疫苗，扎堆去佛罗里达州等地。不少加拿大人也跑去美国佛罗里达州打疫苗。一些印度旅行社开始打广告，宣传“疫苗旅游”。

新冠疫情期间，全球兴起新的旅行方式：跨越州界或公海，希望能打上疫苗。

在美国疫苗接种计划推广之初，必要岗位的工作人员和75岁及以上的老年人是首批优先接种人群。

据《卫报》报道，如今美国已经制定了50多种疫苗接种计划，各州都制定了自己的规则，规定谁可以优先接种。

在新泽西州，吸烟人士排在教师之前接种疫苗，而且无须提供证明。在纽约州，心理学家和精神病学家可以和必要岗位的工作人员一起接种疫苗。

随着有关谁能接种疫苗以及何时能接种的规定发生变化，美国人四处奔波以获得疫苗。

佛罗里达州是一个受欢迎的疫苗旅游目的地，该州优先考虑为65岁及以上人群接种，而且接种疫苗的其他资格要求不甚清晰，吸引了各地的游客赶来接种。

据《华尔街日报》报道，寻求接种疫苗的人从加拿大、阿根廷、美国的纽约和其他州蜂拥至佛罗里达。不过，该州上周拒绝了国际疫苗游客，州卫生局局长发布了公共卫生建议，要求接种者提供该州居民身份证明。

那些想要出国接种疫苗的人为此大掏腰包。

据美国全国广播公司报道，印度旅行社Gem Tours & Travels宣布，包括接种疫苗在内的美国游收费2000美元（约合人民币12917元）。

总部位于加尔各答的Zenith Holidays公司允许客户在其网站上的“疫苗旅游”标签下填写登记表。该公司表示，在登记后的一个小时内，公司客服会给出回复。

加拿大多伦多私人飞机服务公司Momentum Jets副总裁加内尔·布林德告诉《华尔街日报》，一些加拿大人想要前往美国接种疫苗。

布林德说：“我们现在收到很多客户的问询，如果预约成功，他们愿意当日往返佛罗里达。”他预计当日往返包机价格为2.5万美元到8万美元。

(chinadaily.com.cn)