Mississippi officials to Louisiana residents: You are not welcome here for COVID-19 vaccine

Published 8:59 am Friday, February 5, 2021

With a growing number of Louisiana residents crossing state lines to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, Mississippi Health officials are telling Louisianans to stay home.

The requirements for the vaccine in Mississippi are less stringent than in Louisiana, which has resulted in more than 5,300 Louisianians taking a road trip to Mississippi for a vaccination.

“If they don’t work in MS, they should not come here to get a vaccine,” Mississippi State Health Department spokesperson Liz Sharlot wrote in an email to The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate. “We order vaccine based on population. If you don’t meet the criteria, you are not welcome to come over here and get a vaccine that is intended for Mississippians or those who work in MS. This is not right, and folks should not be doing it.”

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Unlike other states, Mississippi does not require state identification to receive the vaccine. Florida, for example, requires proof of residency such as a driver’s license, rental agreement, deed, or a utility bill in order to receive the vaccine there.