Marijuana discounts and free Uber: the personal experience of a tourist who was vaccinated against COVID-19 in New York

Ekaterina Osadchuk wrote a column for MC.Today, in which she shared her experience of vaccination against COVID-19 in New York. Her trip to the megalopolis from Ukraine was successful, because she managed not only to solve business issues, but also to take care of her health.

Why in the USA

New York is a place where the author of the article comes to recharge his energy, make new acquaintances, so vaccination was not the main purpose of the trip. She recently had COVID-19 in a mild form, but the postform effect was not easy. She did not want to live it again, so Catherine decided to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

COVID-19 Statistics in New York

Fully vaccinated 54,6% of the population of New York. Statistics show that for 20 million residents of the city there are 300 cases of the disease per day, of which less than ten are fatal. On the street it is allowed to walk without a mask, they are asked to wear only indoors.

It is often stated on the premises: "It is recommended to wear a mask if you are not fully vaccinated."

Is it possible to specially fly to New York for the vaccine

The most obvious thing is that you must have a visa. The US Embassy does not issue tourist visas until autumn 2022 for Ukrainians. If you have a visa, getting the vaccine will be easier than ever. It's free, and all the conditions have been created for this.

One of the main nuances - you can get to the USA only through Istanbul if you have a PCR test "not older" 72 hours.

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The author bought tickets via Frankfurt. But it was only at the check-in counter that I learned that those who have a green card or a work visa can fly through Europe to the United States. Therefore, tickets were bought through Istanbul, because I did not want to cancel the trip.

As soon as they bought tickets, an airport employee told them a story about a family who also bought a ticket first through Europe, then through Istanbul, but they were not released. Because their tickets through Europe were visible in the system, and they had to stay in quarantine for 14 days.

However, the author of the publication managed to fly out, because tickets through Europe were immediately canceled, and the next flight flew in 3 hours. Of course, in such a short time they could not fly to Europe.

On the plane from Istanbul to New York, a fellow traveler told a story that he was flying to his parents in the United States from Germany. To do this, he had to fly to Istanbul for two weeks and only then to the United States - otherwise he would not have been allowed.

How long does it take to get vaccinated

Pfizer or Moderna vaccines take a month because the second dose is given 21 days later if it is Pfizer and 28 days later if it is Moderna.

For example, Andrey Fedoriv, ​​founder and CEO of Fedoriv Group, told in his microblog on Instagram that he was vaccinated in Seattle. He saw an advertisement on the window of a supermarket near the hotel: "We vaccinate against COVID-19 for free." The vaccination itself was carried out in a small pharmacy section of a supermarket.

He was offered Moderna, but he left after 3 weeks. Alternative - Pfizer, you need to wait 30 minutes for it to defrost. “I went to have lunch. Filled out a one-page questionnaire. Received an injection and a card. Is free. I drove on. After 20 hours I feel great, only the hand at the injection site hurts a lot, ”Andrei said.

And on Facebook, Yulia Petruk, PR & Comms Lead at MacPaw, told how she managed to find the Jonson & Jonson vaccine in New York and get only one vaccine. This is a little more complicated, it is not available everywhere.

Julia Petruk said that the form is quite simple: you should meet the age criteria and have no medical contraindications. According to the index, you will be offered the nearest vaccination points, they will ask for a passport on the spot, clarify contraindications, ask to drink more water, vitamin C.

They will remind you about water again, give you an injection, give you water. They will issue a certificate with a sticker that confirms the vaccination. They will note the time how long you need to sit to wait for the reaction, and that's it.

Ekaterina planned to spend a month in New York, so she chose the Pfizer vaccine.

Where to get the vaccine in New York

1. There is broker with information about the nearest vaccination points.

2. You can find a special van or tent on crowded streets and get grafted on the spot.

3. There is an opportunity to get vaccinated at the train station, in the supermarket, in the zoo, in the aquarium, in Central Park. You will see advertisements calling for the vaccine.

4. A convenient option is to register through broker... It works if you are in the United States.

5. You need to fill out a questionnaire, choose a date and time, come and get your injection. I filled out the questionnaire a couple of hours before the vaccination - I didn't have to wait.

Who can be vaccinated

Everyone is vaccinated in New York, even without insurance. From the data you need: last name, first name, phone number, email address.

You go to the pharmacy, where they ask for an identity document. They can ask age, clarify contraindications and ask about their health.

How you feel after the vaccine

At the vaccination point, you will be asked to stay for half an hour in case of allergies. Ekaterina was vaccinated by a Russian-speaking girl who switched to Russian when she saw the patient's name and surname in the passport.

They will recommend drinking more water, issue a certificate confirming vaccination, and remind you about water again.

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“After a couple of hours my arm started to hurt. After another four - there was a feeling of SARS and wanted to sleep. I drank melatonin and after 10 hours I woke up feeling good and in good spirits. In my opinion, it is better to be vaccinated after 16:00 pm so that you simply “sleep” all the unpleasant symptoms, ”says Ekaterina.

Common side effects include pain or swelling of the hand at the injection site, headache, body aches, fatigue, and fever.

Side effects are more common after the second dose and are less common in older adults.

Is it paid

It's totally free. Moreover, for a trip to vaccinate, you can call Uber or Lyft for free, and then get various bonuses - a weekly subway card, a discount on marijuana and some restaurants. Plus premium content and bonuses on dating sites, tickets to Broadway shows and cruises, cash prizes, draws for hotel stays, and so on.

Dating sites give bonuses if you put a vaccination avatar in the status.

The City Hall of New York also launched a referral program: community organizations that send people to vaccination centers receive funding ($ 100 per person).

Also NYC makes free concerts in parks, where you can go only if you are vaccinated. Artists of the New York Opera perform there, among others.