It is not true, as it is claimed on social media, that the United States is notifying them by letter of the cancellation of visas to Latinos who have traveled to that country to be vaccinated against covid-19.
Through Twitter and Facebook posts, users from countries like
Colombia and Mexico they have shared messages in which it is assured that the visas of these people, who entered the US for tourism and were immunized, are being canceled.
“Today they are sending letters from the US Government to Colombians who traveled to Miami with the excuse of tourism and were vaccinated. They are having their visas canceled,” one of the tickets alleges. The issue became a trend last week, after local media echoed this information although they later clarified that there was no confirmation of this measure.
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In Mexico, the same versions have circulated throughout the year thanks to several press reports that raised the controversy over the so-called “vaccine tourism”, which spread due to free access to drugs in several states of the United States. USA Some of the most shared messages have been those involving the TV driver Juan José Origel, Who posted on his social media that he had been vaccinated in Miami and created a wave of comments on social media.
According to netizens, Origel’s visa, in addition to other unidentified Mexican tourists, “was canceled for life” and they had to “pay a $ 15,000 fine,” information later denied by the authorities.
The truth is that US diplomatic sources have assured that they are unaware of the alleged cases of cancellations of visas for these reasons, as the B1 / B2 tourist permit allows access to medical treatments. However, they have called for caution, as immunization is a priority for citizens and residents.
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Hundreds of people have had to endure long lines to access covid vaccination days in the United States.
MICHAEL REYNOLDS / EFE
“We are unaware of these letters that people say they have received after receiving the vaccine in the US We are not watching who is going to be vaccinated and we are not reacting (with measures) to the visas of these people, “they explained in a talk to the media, including Efe, consular sources at the US Embassy in Colombia.
According to officials, “in the non-immigrant visa section we are unaware 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 U.S. to receive medical treatment is allowed, but I also want to emphasize that the U.S. immunization program is designed for U.S. citizens and legal residents,” he concluded. one of the diplomats.
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In fact, according to the U.S. State Department website, 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 Pandemic Control signed by US President Joe Biden, who just came to power last January, the country is ensuring that “everyone, not just the rich and well-connected, receive the protection and attention they deserve ”with respect to vaccination.
In this sense, states like Texas, Arizona and Louisiana they initiated unrestricted immunization or registration of patients ’migratory status, while others, such as Florida or New York, have subsequently regulated access in the face of an avalanche of foreigners and nonresidents.
Florida shields itself from vaccine tourism
On January 21, precisely, the health authorities of Florida, one of the destinations preferred by 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 recipients to prove residency in the state.
According to data from the Florida Department of Health shared at the time, of the more than 1.1 million doses of covid-19 vaccines given to date, more than 39,000 were received by nonresidents.
We are not watching who is going to be vaccinated
The United States already exceeds 31.5 million confirmed cases of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and the 565,000 deaths from covid-19 disease, according to the independent Johns Hopkins University count. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some 75 million people have been completely vaccinated in the US
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