US President Joe Biden’s administration is reportedly preparing to offer COVID-19 vaccines to migrants in US custody along the Mexico borders. Johnson & Johnson vaccine is expected to be used. 

With the number of illegal crossings surging, the number of infections have been directly proportional. Hence, the Biden administration has decided to counter and further curb the spread of the virus by vaccinating the Mexican workers on the borders, Washington Post reported, quoting two Department of Homeland Security officials with knowledge of the plan.

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The DHS plans to vaccinate migrants soon after they cross into the United States as they await processing by US Customs and Border Protection. Some have already received the vaccine while held in longer-term US Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities.

“Vaccine would be provided to those facing deportation as well as migrants likely to be released into the United States pending a court hearing,” the official told the Washington Post. The migrants who are quickly sent back to Mexico would not be offered a dose, at least during the initial phase. 

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The Johnson & Johnson vaccine’s single-dose is better suited to a transient population as they might not be able to coordinate a second shot, the DHS officials said.

July 2021 saw 210,000 migrants enter the US along the southern border. This is the highest in 21 years, DHS says. 

“The rates at which encountered noncitizens are testing positive for COVID-19 have increased significantly in recent weeks. And although the rate of infection among CBP officers had been declining, this rate recently began increasing again, even though the percentage of officers and agents who have been fully vaccinated has grown significantly since January,” David Shahoulian, the assistant secretary for border and immigration policy at DHS said. 

Officials believe that the plan could help curb the delta variant’s spread in the US and Mexico.