Some out of state residents may be able to get COVID vaccine in GA. What you need to know

“Vaccine tourism” — or traveling to another state to get a coronavirus vaccination — is being discouraged in Georgia, but top health officials say there is an exception for those who work in the state.

The phenomenon of vaccine tourism has been reported across the country, including in Georgia. Other states may have looser registration requirements or lesser demand for the COVID-19 vaccine, making it easier for a non-resident to get a shot in a neighboring state.

Georgia Health Commissioner Kathleen Toomey addressed the trend in a press conference on Jan. 26. Only out-of-state residents who work in Georgia should receive a vaccine in the Peach State, Toomey said. This group is eligible to schedule a vaccination at a clinic or through their worksite.

Georgia Department of Public Health spokesperson Nancy Nydam confirmed that the vaccine doses allocated to Georgia are for Georgia residents only, with limited exceptions.

Nydam provided the following examples of cases where an out of state resident may be eligible for vaccination in Georgia:

• People who live out of state but work at a medical facility in Georgia that is vaccinating its employees.
• People who live in Georgia during the winter months.
• People who are currently residing in Georgia for an extended period to care for an elderly and/or sick relative.

“Vaccine providers in Georgia should not be vaccinating people from other states just because our eligibility phase is different (e.g., all 65+ individuals) or because they were able to get an appointment in Georgia and not in their own state,” Nydam said in an email to the Ledger-Enquirer.

Coming from another state to Georgia to get a COVID-19 vaccine is “irresponsible and selfish,” Toomey said in the press conference. However, state officials are not willing to sacrifice accessibility for the sake of monitoring vaccine tourism.

“We’re not going to police this process,” Toomey said. “Does that mean that somebody may slip in from out of state? Possibly.”

To schedule a vaccination in Georgia, visit your regional health department’s website or refer to this vaccine registration guide.

Georgia residents who work in another state may be able to receive the vaccine from the state in which they are employed, but regulations vary.

Other states are cracking down on vaccine tourism. After it was made public that Florida was allowing out-of-state residents to get a vaccine in their state, Florida now requires patients to verify their residency status.