Starting this Wednesday free COVID vaccines have been made available to tourists over the age of 18 that want to get vaccinated at the Cancun airport. The vaccination campaign is slated to continue throughout the entire month of April within the Cancun International Airport. After that time the idea is to either take those same modules or make new ones, and set them up in strategic spots in and around the Cancun hotel zone.
According to Miguel Van-Dick, the Mexican Social Security Delegate for the State of Quintana Roo, these efforts to set up secondary vaccination spots are being made because vaccine coverage in the state is well below the national average.
As things currently stand only 52% of people 18 and older in and around Cancun have received a third dose of the COVID vaccine. That’s almost 20 points under the national average. Oddly enough the efforts are getting started at the airport where most of the people who will have quick access to the vaccine won’t necessarily be locals, but tourists.
That’s why the second stage of the program contemplates bringing these vaccination modules closer to the Cancun working class. Particularly, those people who work within the tourism industry, and the construction industry. According to Van-Dick one of the ideas that is currently being discussed contemplates literally setting up COVID vaccine modules next to large construction sites.
AstraZeneca Vaccines Are Currently Available At The Airport
In these first few days of this vaccination campaign it’s AstraZeneca vaccines that are going to be available at these spots. The general idea is to continue offering the same vaccine for the duration of the program. For the second stage of the vaccination process which, as we mentioned, will take place in spots near the Cancun hotel zone, presumably the same types of vaccines will be available. The plan contemplates that folks who got the vaccine at the airport the first time around can head over to the hotel zone for their second dose.
For international tourists that want to get vaccinated all that they are going to need to do is present their passport, or ID at these modules. There was no word on how proof of vaccination would seemingly work for international tourists who got the shot at the airport. Access to the vaccine itself though is available just with an ID.
No Indication Of Whether This Would Lead To A Vaccine Mandate In The Region
So far there has been no indication to suggest that these new vaccination campaigns are going to lead to a vaccine mandate in the area. In fact, tourists arriving to the region may be surprised to find out that there is no vaccine mandate to travel to Mexico, nor do you currently need a negative COVID test to be able to travel to the country in general.
Cancun in specific continues in the green level of COVID warning. This virtually means that all of the activities in the region are going on as planned. Certain restaurants, bars, or hotels may have mask mandates in place. Although, this is something that has also diminished in the last few weeks. Even as COVID vaccine mandates are not in effect for travelers there are companies in the region that have enforced vaccine mandates on employees.
In these first couple of days of the vaccination campaign that is taking place in the Cancun airport most of the people coming up to the modules were airport workers. With bag handlers, transport personnel, and even national guard members making up the bulk of the people who got vaccinated on Monday and Tuesday at the airport. Apparently these workers may have to get their second or third doses on their own time near the hotel zone.
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