Some Mexicans Travel To U.S. For COVID Vaccines As Their Country's Rollout Stumbles

In Mexico, where less than 5% of the population has received a COVID-19 vaccine dose, the rich and well-connected have found a faster way to get their hands on one: travel north.

Some Mexicans with family ties or dual citizenship in the United States, or who just can afford the airfare, are heading to the U.S. to get vaccinated faster than the many months of waiting for one back home.

They've also not been shy to share their tips and stories online about how they do it. The phenomenon has sparked intense debate: between officials who believe U.S. residents should have priority and those who feel that, in a general sense, the more people vaccinated the better. But the picture isn't that black and white.

The quest for shots comes as Mexico struggles to secure and distribute vaccines against COVID-19, with the country's confirmed deaths from the disease now surpassing 200,000.