Uh, guys? Do they know something we don't?
International tourists are flying to SFO just to get the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine
San Francisco International Airport is unexpectedly becoming a hotspot for global visitors looking to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Travelers are increasingly traveling to (or making pit stops at) SFO before their final destination to get the Johnson & Johnson one-shot vaccine — which is less readily available in other parts of the world. Per reports by KCBS and NBC Bay Area, 80% of appointments for SFO's vaccine clinic are being reserved by international tourists. KCBS notes that around 1,000 people from 58 countries have gotten inoculated at the airport. Alberto Evangelista, a vaccine clinic worker, told NBC Bay Area that people "sometimes connect their flight here just to get the vaccine." Airport spokesman Doug Yakel told the TV station that offering these shots to tourists is a win-win — ensuring that the less-popular vaccines don't go to waste, and that more people globally are vaccinated. "It ensures that these vaccine doses that are in our supply don't go to waste,” Yakel said in an interview. "And that use and more, is coming from people who are having trouble accessing it in their home country." Yakel did not immediately respond to a request for comment from SFGATE.
Vaccine appointments are still available — both for out-of-towners and locals alike — from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.