LANCASTER, Pa. — Some people are now traveling across county or even state lines to get vaccinated.
“Vaccine tourism” has become more common as many of the 3.5 million Pennsylvanians now eligible for the vaccine report trouble scheduling an appointment.
Lancaster resident Richard Gunning said he called multiple health systems last month to schedule vaccinations.
At 75, he is at high risk for COVID-19, but was then in the Phase 1B group, not yet eligible to get the shot. (Pennsylvania later expanded Phase 1A to include people 65 and older on Jan. 19.)
“There was no hope as far getting anything in Lancaster County,” Gunning said.
He began calling health systems in other counties, eventually trying St. Luke’s University Hospital in Lehigh County.
“They said, 'Fine. How's Sunday?’” Gunning said.
St. Luke’s, as well as Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN), was offering vaccines to anyone in Phase 1, including 1A, 1B and 1C.
An hour and a half later, Gunning and his wife had both received their vaccines.
The Gunnings join a growing group of vaccine tourists traveling within Pennsylvania.
But while some leave Central Pennsylvania to get the vaccine, others drive hours to the area from other parts of the state.
“We've seen many of them that have driven up to three hours. I had somebody first thing this morning from West Chester who showed up,” said Melissa Koehler, pharmacy manager and co-owner at Hillcrest Pharmacy in Columbia.
Koehler said she gets hundreds of vaccine requests and questions each day.
“Every time I log in there are another 100 emails to answer,” she said.
Koehler said she has to turn many people down.
“Basically they're just having trouble finding appointments and they're just scooping up whatever they can get and driving,” she said.
Some Pennsylvanians are leaving the state to get vaccinated, though they’re not always welcome in other states.
“At this point Pennsylvania does not prohibit anybody from going to another state and getting a vaccine, but other states are saying we don't want you to come here for the purposes of getting a vaccine,” Gov. Tom Wolf said at a COVID-19 update on Jan. 26.
States that have indicated they will accept out-of-state residents for vaccination include Ohio and Kentucky.
Other states such as New York, New Hampshire, Georgia and Florida have indicated they will only vaccinate people who live or work in the state.