[UPDATED] Travelling for a Vaccine
There has been much conversation in the ExPat community about travelling outside of Costa Rica for a vaccine due to the short supply of vaccines and slow roll out. Please read our update at the end. As is the case with just about anything newsworthy in Costa Rica, rumors and changing information are plentiful. I had heard of people getting vaccinated in different Cantons after presenting their immigration paperwork and expediente numbers – but again, mostly rumors, or it was essentially luck of the draw. I have had several friends who have made numerous trips to various vaccine clinics or the Ebais to tryfor end of the day left over vaccines etc., and they were repeatedly turned away or told to try again another day. When asked when the next vaccination would be one employee told my friend “We don’t know. Maybe Monday, maybe in two weeks we have no idea”.
I was lucky enough to be able to travel back to the United States to get vaccinated. I had to do some research as I was going to Arizona, where I have not been before. I decided it wasn’t worth the risk to try and get Pfzer or one of the other two shot vaccines as I was financially unable to return within the time frame required, and I wasn’t confident in the ability to get a second one in Costa Rica. I called the county I would be in to make sure that they were vaccinating anyone regardless of residency (I have both Canadian and US passports) and if so where I could find the J&J shot. The County employee was very helpful and advised me that anyone was eligible for the vaccine regardless of citizenship or residency and that essentially every place that was offering the vaccine was not experiencing a wait time or need to make an appointment. Once my Airbnb was booked I looked online for pharmacies offering J&J to make an appointment just to be safe. I found a CVS and made an appointment for the vaccine.
This was the first time in over 4 years I had been back to the United States and the first time traveling since the start of the pandemic. I wasn’t really prepared for the shock of being back in the US and especially Arizona. You would have never guessed there was a pandemic – very few masks or precautions, packed restaurants and people all gathered together. I did as I have been doing here – kept to myself and maintained distance and wore my mask. Once I was settled in I realized that the CVS I had booked my appointment at was almost one hour away. I looked online and using my Airbnb address, I was able to find another site offering the vaccine and called to see if they had space. They said I could come at any time, they had no lines or wait list. Once at the facility, I was given the standard paperwork to complete. They took it and my driver’s license then called me in for my shot. I will say that I don’t believe these were medically trained staff – as the man giving me the shot was wearing gloves while he was using a pen to fill in my information and then dropped the cotton ball on the floor, picked it up and used the same gloves while giving me the vaccine. I picked my battle and let it slide. I was required to wait on site for 15 for any reactions and during that time I looked at my vaccine card. I sent a photo to my friends to celebrate this joyous event and thankfully one of them noticed my card was not filled out correctly. They were happy to correct the mistake, and I was on my way. Always be sure to double-check everything!
I flew back the same night that I received the vaccine and I experienced zero side effects. On the trip back the plane from Phoenix to Miami was 100% full, and I was wedged in the window seat for 6 hours next to a man who I later found out was from Argentina. I screamed internally for the remaining time on the plane. It was very difficult for me personally to go from mostly isolated here in Costa Rica to being in close quarters with others from all over the globe.
Aside from my personal anxiety and paranoia about travelling it was fairly seamless. I have seen travel deals through local companies for “vaccine runs” and I know that many people are choosing Florida due to it being a short flight and minimizing your travel time and increasing the chance of being able to fly in and out same day. Please note that apparently vaccines are no longer available at the Miami Airport, however there is no shortage of pharmacies or clinics where you would be able to obtain one. You can use this tool to locate a vaccination site near the airport here.
It is difficult to predict if vaccines will be available in Costa Rica in the future for tourists, but for those who are able to travel, it is possible to get vaccinated in the United States with very little trouble or bureaucracy. Please remember that you will require a negative Covid test to enter the United States – be sure to only use an authorized testing facility. When returning to Costa Rica you will need to meet all the entry requirements which you can see here (after August 1st those who are fully vaccinated will not need insurance as long as the last dose was administered at least two weeks prior).
*This morning we got confirmation from the Ministerio de Salud that foreigners with a regular immigration status or in process (able to prove to they have initiated any residency process) CAN opt for a vaccine. They stated that foreigners (as tourists) cannot receive the vaccine at this time. Insurance (meaning CAJA) is not a requisite to receive the vaccine, however, it appears each EBAIS (local clinic) operates under their own regulations or requirements, so it would be best to contact the one nearest you and confirm if you are eligible or not.