Even with the increasing spread of the new Omicron COVID variant, there remain countless people all over the world who refuse to get a COVID-19 vaccination.
But with more and more employers and cities adopting policies which require proof of vaccination, people are going to almost desperate lengths to obtain fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards.
A case in New Zealand involves a man reportedly receiving as many as 10 vaccinations in one day, after being paid by others who refuse to get vaccinated.
As reported by the New Zealand news outlet Stuff, the unnamed man reportedly visited multiple vaccination centers and assuming the identities of those who paid him.
While not disclosing the names or places surrounding the incident, New Zealand's Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 vaccine and immunization program group manager Astrid Koornneef told Stuff she was "aware of the issue".
"We are taking this matter very seriously."
"We are very concerned about this situation and are working with the appropriate agencies."
"If you know of someone who has had more vaccine doses than recommended they should seek clinical advice as soon as practicable."
With people having flu-like symptoms after a single dose, it left many wondering just how this unnamed man would react to receiving multiple, let alone ten, doses of the vaccine in a single day.
Nikki Turner, a professor at Auckland university, says there is no concrete data on the effects of so many doses but, doing so was extremely ill-advised.
"The Comirnaty vaccine, the one we’re using, is designed based on early clinical data that works out what’s the right amount to give a good immune response and to give a good safety profile, and we do know that a high dose vaccine creates more side effects."
"So this is definitely not recommended … we have no evidence as to what side effects somebody would have with this amount of vaccine."
“This is not a safe thing to do, this is putting that person at risk.”
Helen Petousis-Harris, a vaccinologist and associate professor expressed her disdain for those who paid the unnamed man to The New Zealand Herald, calling their behavior "unbelievably selfish" and taking advantage of those in need of money.
"It could cause serious harm from the people who are not vaccinated, saying they are, and spreading the virus."Petousis-Harris added the man at the receiving end of the ten vaccines would likely feel "like crap" the following day, but was unlikely to come to any serious harm.
"We know that people have in error been given the whole five doses in a vial instead of it being diluted, we know that has happened overseas, and we know with other vaccines errors have occurred and there has been no long-term problems."
The bizarre and outrageous incident was also met with a wide array of amusement, confusion and anger on Twitter.
Others failed to find anything funny in the situation, with many expressing their anger the scheme wasn't caught by those administering the vaccines.
People getting vaccines in place of someone else has been an ongoing problem in New Zealand.
But health officials in New Zealand worried tightening security at vaccination centers would be a hindrance to their goal of getting as many people vaccinated as possible.
"People who do not have a form of photo identification are disproportionately people in vulnerable groups – homeless or transient, the elderly, the young, people with disabilities – and we don’t want to create barriers to their vaccination."
Roughly 89% of New Zealand’s population is fully vaccinated.
Most of the country is operating under a "post-vaccination system," requiring proof of vaccination to enter most public venues.
