Report: Biden Planning to Give Johnson & Johnson Vaccine to Border Crossers

President Joe Biden’s administration is planning to give the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine to border crossers who arrive at the United States-Mexico border, sources say.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials who spoke anonymously to the Washington Post revealed that the Biden administration is considering an unfinalized plan that will offer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to border crossers before they are released into the U.S. interior.

The Post reports:

The Biden administration is preparing to begin offering coronavirus vaccines to migrants in U.S. custody along the Mexico border, where illegal crossings are at the highest levels in more than two decades and health officials are struggling with soaring numbers of infections, according to two Department of Homeland Security officials with knowledge of the plan. [Emphasis added]

Until now, only a limited number of migrants have received the vaccine while held in longer-term U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities. Under the broad outlines of the new plan, DHS will vaccinate them soon after they cross into the United States and await processing by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. [Emphasis added]

The vaccines will be provided to those facing deportation as well as migrants likely to be released into the United States pending a court hearing, said one of the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the plan since it has not been finalized. Migrants who are quickly sent back to Mexico under the Title 42 public health law would not be offered a dose, at least during the initial phase, the person said. [Emphasis added]

The DHS sources told the Post that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is being considered for border crossers because it is only a single shot rather than Pfizer and Moderana’s two-shot vaccines.

The plan, according to the sources, will deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) medical staff to the U.S.-Mexico border to deliver the vaccines to border crossers. Thus far, about 20,000 illegal aliens in ICE custody have been administered a COVID-19 vaccine. – READ MORE