Don’t lie to get a COVID vaccine in MS or LA. It’s ‘taking from someone who really needs it’
Louisiana residents are sharing tips on social media about how to get COVID-19 vaccines in Mississippi, where scarce doses are open to a larger population.
Photos are being shared of cars with Louisiana plates in Mississippi vaccine lines.
Is the problem out of hand? State leaders say no. They say only 6,777 of the 340,000 doses in Mississippi have gone to out-of-state addresses, including Louisiana residents who work in Mississippi and are eligible to be vaccinated here.
But a Nola.com article last week sparked outrage for detailing how one Facebook group in particular was helping those not yet eligible in Louisiana to get appointments in Mississippi.
State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs and Epidemiologist Paul Byers say the state doesn’t want to put up barriers that will prevent any Mississippian from being vaccinated, such as requiring identification.
“Right now we’re fighting barriers, we don’t want to create barriers,” Dobbs said Monday. As an example, he said an older person who might not have a driver’s license shouldn’t be turned away if they don’t have an ID.
But to prevent barriers, the state is also relying on the honor system. “We have to depend on people’s ethical behavior,” Dobbs said.
He said the state will continue to monitor the situation, but expects most people to be honest when they apply for an appointment. A home address is requested on the form.
That also includes Mississippians who aren’t yet eligible for the vaccine in their own state.
“It’s dishonest and immoral to lie to get a scarce asset,” Dobbs said last week. “I think most Mississippians would reject that kind of behavior. That’s a lie, that’s dishonest, that’s taking something from someone who really needs it.”
“Can we prevent people from being fraudulent all the time? No.”
Vaccine eligibility in Mississippi vs. Louisiana
In Mississippi and Louisiana, vaccinations are now open to residents 65 and older. But Mississippi residents 16-64 years old also are eligible if they have any of a broad array of pre-existing conditions, including obesity and smoking. Louisiana’s eligibility for those under 65 is far more restrictive.
Crossing state lines for a vaccine also works both ways, Dobbs said. Some Mississippi Coast residents who have doctors in Louisiana are getting vaccinated in that state.
Dobbs also said that state-line crossing raises the issue of having no federal rules for vaccine eligibility.
Bottom line, both he and Byers think access to the vaccine outweighs the need for restrictions that might prevent Mississippians from being vaccinated.
Dobbs believes that stories about cheaters outnumber the residents being dishonest for a shot.
