‘Vaccine hunters’ cross state lines in search of immunizations

Amid the chaos surrounding the nation’s COVID-19 immunization campaign, “vaccine hunter” groups have surfaced on social media to help anxious Americans get the vaccine elsewhere if they do not yet qualify in their home state. At least 21,501 doses in Ohio were administered to recipients with an out-of-state address, according to the state’s vaccine dashboard; and more than 57,000 non-residents received the vaccine in Florida, the state health department estimates. With doses limited, public health officials now must consider whether it is best to stick to the rules or to immunize as many people as possible, even if they cross state lines. While some medical ethicists see no harm in offering vaccine to non-priority recipients when doses are in danger of being wasted, many believe taking product allocated to residents of another jurisdiction is morally questionable. States including Kentucky and Washington are responding by revising vaccine eligibility criteria to limit dose distribution to specific residents and/or workers. However, with every state implementing its own rules about who qualifies for vaccination and when, some people say prioritization is uneven and even unfair. Mississippi, for example, is currently accepting recipients aged 16–64 years who have diabetes or other comorbidities, prompting people in this demographic to come into the state from Louisiana, where they remain ineligible for the vaccine.