By: Jaymee Salisi, News Writer
Many retired Canadians continue to participate in international migration to warmer climates such as Mexico or Florida during the COVID-19 pandemic. People who engage in this practice can be referred to as “snowbirds.” An estimated 375,000 snowbirds travel annually to the United States and Mexico to escape the Canadian winter.
In an article by SFU professors Valorie Crooks and Jeremy Snyder, the authors describe how snowbirds may complicate the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. “We need to be preparing ourselves for how we’re going to deal with the fact that people are going to access this vaccine abroad,” Crooks explained in an interview with The Peak.
“Somebody, such as a snowbird, may access the first dose while they’re abroad, and then actually have to access the second dose upon return,” Crooks explained. This is because the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines both require two doses with 21 and 28 day intervals between each dose, respectively. Canadians meeting eligibility requirements are able to access the vaccine in American states such as Arizona and Florida.
Canadian snowbirds are eligible to receive the vaccine if they are 65 years of age or older and able to produce proof of Arizona or Florida residency and legal identification. Canadian travel insurance may not cover the cost of the vaccine abroad, as it is not considered a medical emergency.
“Although many people aren’t aware of this, there actually is no standardized international language of medicine, and so the information you may be given when you access your vaccine abroad may not be what we’re looking to capture here in Canada,” Crooks stated. Based on this information, she emphasized that Canada and other countries must prioritize the creation of a “dynamic and thorough vaccine registry” to better keep track of health information across international and domestic borders.
Crooks and Snyder also noted that prioritizing snowbirds for the vaccine might be unfair to those who did not travel abroad. Crooks clarified that she does not think that “anyone is planning, necessarily, to access ‘dose one’ abroad and ‘dose two’ here,” but this could happen if there are changes in access to borders or if doses arrive later than expected.”
For instance, the US/Canadian border closure that was implemented in March 2020 is an example of travellers changing plans abruptly to return to Canada. Due to the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic, Crooks stated that there could be potential for similar circumstances.
Snowbirds might experience a “different sense of risk and [ . . . ] health while they are abroad” as living in cold climates can trigger existing respiratory conditions, according to Crooks. While people with respiratory conditions are also highly susceptible to COVID-19, some snowbirds have stated they feel safer while travelling to warmer climates during winter months due to illnesses that worsen in cold weather.
Although Crooks acknowledged that international retirement migration can generally provide people with positive health and recreational benefits, she warned that “there are going to be instances where people have complications following the vaccine.” Complications might include potential allergic reactions to the medicine and the capacity for travel health plans to cover this.
The Canadian Snowbird Association recently notified their members that all air passengers are required to get tested three days before their flight to the US departs, and must confirm negative test results with their airlines before boarding. Travellers who have received the COVID-19 vaccine are still required to present a negative test result before their flight.
Crooks suggested that people who choose to travel abroad should carefully weigh their personal health risks with their family physician to “assist them with helping them to understand the implications of decisions to travel abroad.”
More information on Crooks’ and Snyder’s article can be found online.
