It is not true, as confirmed on social networks, that the United States is notifying by letter the cancellation of visas to Latinos who have traveled to that country to be vaccinated against COVID-19, although the Government has recalled that immunization is intended only for citizens and legal residents.
Through Twitter and Facebook posts, users from countries such as Colombia and Mexico have shared messages in which they ensure that the visas of these people, who entered the United States for tourism and were immunized, are being canceled.
“Letters from the US government are arriving to Colombians who traveled to Miami with the excuse of tourism and got vaccinated. They are canceling their visa ”, alleges one of the entries.
This issue became a trend in that South American country last week, after local media echoed that information, although they later clarified that there was no confirmation of such a measure.
In Mexico, the same versions have circulated throughout the year thanks to several press reports that raised controversy about the so-called “vaccine tourism”, which spread due to free access to drugs in various states of the United States.
Some of the most shared messages have been those involving the television host Juan José Origel, who posted on his social networks that he had been vaccinated in Miami and created a wave of comments on social platforms.
According to Internet users, Origel’s visa, in addition to other Mexican tourists who have not been identified, “was canceled for life” and they had “to pay a $15,000 fine,” information later denied by the authorities.
The truth is that diplomatic sources from the United States have assured that they are unaware of the alleged cases of visa cancellations for these reasons, since the B1/B2 tourism permit allows access to medical treatment. However, they have asked for caution because immunization is prioritized for citizens and residents.
“We are unaware of those letters that people say they have received after receiving the vaccine in the United States. We are not monitoring who goes to get vaccinated and we are not reacting (with measures) to the visas of these people,” they explained in a talk with the media. communication, including Efe, consular sources from the US Embassy in Colombia.
According to officials, “in the nonimmigrant visa section we are not aware of these cases” and “we have not been working on the issue.”
“The embassy is completely unaware of the reports that have come out in recent days. Traveling to the United States to receive medical treatment is allowed, but I also want to emphasize that the United States vaccination program is designed for American citizens and legal residents”, concluded one of the diplomats.
In fact, according to the website of the United States Department of State, the most common type of visa to temporarily visit the country, the B1/B2, authorizes access, among other activities, to medical procedures.
In addition, according to the Executive Order on the control of the pandemic signed by the US president, Joe Biden, as soon as he came to power last January, the country ensures that “everyone, not just the rich and well connected, receive the protection and the attention they deserve” regarding vaccination.
In this sense, states such as Texas, Arizona and Louisiana began immunization without restrictions or registration of the immigration status of patients, while others, such as Florida or New York, have subsequently regulated access in the face of the avalanche of foreigners and non-residents.
FLORIDA SHIELDS UP AGAINST “VACCINE TOURISM”
On January 21, precisely, the health authorities of Florida, one of the preferred destinations for Latinos, announced that only residents have priority in the vaccination plan.
Florida Chief Surgeon Scott A. Rivkees issued an order requiring vaccine providers to require proof of state residency from recipients.
According to data from the Florida Department of Health shared at the time, of the more than 1.1 million doses of vaccines against COVID-19 applied to that date, more than 39,000 were received by non-residents.
The United States already exceeds 31.5 million confirmed cases of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and 565,000 deaths from the COVID-19 disease, according to the independent count by Johns Hopkins University.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 75 million people have been fully vaccinated in the United States.
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