Are Undocumented Immigrants Eligible For the COVID-19 Vaccine?
Key takeaways:
Essential workers, many of whom are undocumented, are high priority after healthcare workers and long-term care facility residents for the COVID-19 vaccine.
Federal officials insist that patient information gathered while vaccinating people against the virus will not be used in any way for immigration enforcement.
The vaccine is free for everyone in the U.S., regardless of citizenship status.
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As the phased rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine continues nationwide, high among priority groups are non-healthcare essential workers. That includes employees in meatpacking plants, farmworkers, and restaurant staff. But many undocumented immigrants who work in these industries have fears about seeking the vaccine. Public health officials emphasize that the COVID-19 vaccine is free and meant for everyone in the U.S., regardless of citizenship status.
How many essential workers are undocumented?
It’s estimated that half of all meat and poultry processing workers in the U.S. are undocumented. The Pew Research Center finds about 17% of workers in agriculture are unauthorized, and about 10% of restaurant workers are noncitizen immigrants nationwide. In some major cities, up to 40% of restaurant workers are undocumented.
Why are undocumented imimmigrants at higher risk for COVID-19?
In studying COVID-19 among food processing, manufacturing, and agricultural workers, the CDC found that most workers are Hispanic or Latino. Factors that may increase the risk for COVID-19 spread include:
Working shoulder-to-shoulder in tight quarters and, in some cases, in plants with poor ventilation
Living in shared housing
Relying on shared transportation
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Mass testing in meat and poultry processing plants in the U.S. revealed widespread outbreaks of COVID-19 in these workplaces.
But despite the risk of infection many undocumented essential workers face, they often have to remain on the job. That’s because many earn low wages and have little or no paid sick time, even if they do fall ill.
Can I get the COVID-19 vaccine if I am an undocumented immigrant?
Some of the money from President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus plan would go toward making sure people get the COVID-19 vaccine regardless of immigration status.
On his first day in office, Biden proposed immigration legislation that would counter the Trump Administration’s hard-line approach and provide an eight-year path to citizenship for immigrants who don’t yet have legal status. Advocates for changing immigration policy say aggressive enforcement and deportation efforts have raised concern among immigrant communities about seeking medical care, including the COVID-19 vaccine.
Can herd immunity be achieved in the U.S. if only citizens are vaccinated?
It’s estimated that more than 10 million undocumented immigrants live in the U.S. If workers and their families who are undocumented don’t seek vaccination in high numbers, it will undermine our ability to achieve what’s called herd immunity. Herd immunity is when the majority of the population is immune to COVID-19.
"Nobody will be safe until everybody's vaccinated, and by everybody, I don't mean just citizens or just people with a green card,” Dr. Ranit Mishori, the senior medical advisor at Physicians for Human Rights, told Today. “It means everybody who is currently in the United States, regardless of their legal status.”
Will my citizenship status affect my ability to get the vaccine?
In Nebraska, Gov. Pete Ricketts’ communications director, Tyler Gage, took to Twitter on January 4 to clarify whether undocumented workers in meat processing facilities (and generally) would get the COVID-19 vaccine. He tweeted that “while the federal government is expected to eventually make enough vaccine available for everyone in the country, Nebraska is going to prioritize citizens and legal residents ahead of illegal immigrants.”
Putting politics over public health — as critics say some states like Nebraska are doing — could frustrate efforts to quickly vaccinate those who are most at risk for getting COVID-19.
But other states, from Arizona to Illinois to New Jersey, are prioritizing vaccinating undocumented individuals and overcoming obstacles to reach migrant workers in their vaccine rollout plans.
"No one in this country should be denied a vaccine because of their documentation status," former Surgeon General Jerome Adams told CBS’s “Face the Nation” in December 2020.
Are there any legal repercussions for undocumented immigrants who receive the COVID-19 vaccine?
Advocates say many undocumented immigrants fear that personal information given for medical purposes could be used against them. Some state officials, like Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York, have pushed back against efforts to have states share more health information with the federal government out of concern it might be used to go after undocumented residents.
The CDC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services stressed in a data use and sharing agreement that personal data gathered in vaccinating people against COVID-19 would only be used for public health purposes. The agreement states that personal data may not be used for civil or criminal prosecution, including immigration enforcement.
Adams similarly emphasized on “Face the Nation” that medical data gathered for those who get the COVID-19 vaccine "will not be used in any way, shape, or form to hurt you legally," and couldn’t be used in immigration proceedings.
What are the barriers to vaccination among immigrant populations?
Undocumented immigrants face a number of hurdles to getting the COVID-19 vaccine in addition to fears surrounding immigration enforcement. Those include:
Language barriers
Vaccine hesitancy, or a distrust of medical providers
A lack of transportation to clinics
Concern about cost
Less likely to have health insurance and a usual source of healthcare
Although the vaccine is free to all, including those without insurance, experts fear that undocumented immigrants without coverage who don’t regularly seek care may be reluctant to get the vaccine for fear they will have to pay for it.
The strategies to address these hurdles range from using bilingual community workers to working with immigrant-led community organizations and trusted health providers to reach undocumented workers.This may also involve dispatching mobile vaccine clinics, Health Affairs reports, to provide vaccination to those working at remote sites.
In the meantime, experts say there are a few things to keep in mind as more details on COVID-19 vaccine availability are provided:
No matter your citizenship status, the vaccine will be free. Don’t expect—or accept—any surprise billing. The federal government paid for the vaccine, so you’re not responsible for covering the cost.
Even if you don’t have insurance, you can still get the vaccine at no cost.
Efforts are underway to locate clinics where workers are, including remote sites like farms. Check in regularly with a healthcare provider or your employer regarding options (especially if you’ve gotten flu shots or other health care provided onsite or at an employee clinic previously).
Approved vaccines have been shown to be safe and effective. Go to the CDC’s website to learn more.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19, continue to wear a mask. Even after you receive the vaccine, it’s important for you to continue to wear a mask to protect others who have not yet gotten the vaccine.
The bottom line
The COVID-19 vaccine will be available for free to everyone, in phases, based on risk. You will be able to get it regardless of your citizenship status. Stay informed about your options to get the vaccine and protect yourself against the virus.
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