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Vaccines available for travelers, community at Tucson International Airport

Tucson International Airport vaccine pop-up .jpg
Posted at 6:05 PM, Aug 23, 2021
and last updated 2021-08-23 21:24:59-04

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — It’s now even easier for travelers to get vaccinated, whether they’re boarding or leaving a flight. That’s because the Tucson International Airport is home to a new COVID-19 vaccine pop-up clinic.

Travel is picking up and may get busier as the holidays roll around.

“Right now, flights are about 90 to 95 percent full. So, anybody that is coming to or leaving Tucson International Airport, you are in a pretty full plane,” said Craig Reck, Tucson International Airport public information administrator.

Many destinations outside of Arizona are asking for proof of having the vaccine or proof of a test. Now, TIA is a site for both.

“Having vaccines here is just one more step in just being convenient,” said Reck.

The location was just that for Meredith Morris who returned home from New York City.

“This was convenient. I asked my husband to find me a Johnson & Johnson and he said, 'Actually there’s one right there that popped up at the airport,'" said Morris.

She said she got the vaccine because it was now required for her job and she saw firsthand that she couldn’t do everything she wanted to do while traveling.

“I couldn’t go to the [9/11] memorial because I didn’t have a card. I couldn’t go to certain places because I didn’t have a card. The trump tower wouldn’t let you in because you didn’t have a card," she said.

She isn’t alone. Several others rolled up their sleeves making their choice of which of the three vaccines to get.

The pop-up site is also open to everyone in the community.