‘Unbelievably selfish’ man has ‘10 Covid jabs a day’ after being paid by anti-vaxxers to get them vaccine passports
AN “unbelievably selfish” man has reportedly received TEN Covid jabs a day after he was paid by anti vaxxers seeking vaccine passports, reports say.
The individual, who has not been identified, reportedly pretended to be a different person each time as he visited several immunisation centres in New Zealand.
Health authorities are now investigating the claims as reports suggest that he was given the jab before the vaccination records were updated for the real person in question.
Currently New Zealanders must show a vaccine pass in order to visit some businesses and attend events in the country.
It has led investigators to believe that anti-vaxxers must have paid the man so they could enjoy the social benefits of the vaccinated without having to get the jab.
University of Auckland vaccinologist and associate professor Helen Petousis-Harris blasted the culpable individual as “unbelievably selfish” – adding that it was a “really dumb thing to do.”
She also stressed that people who get higher doses of the jab were more likely to experience fever, pains and headaches and that the man would probably “feel crap the next day".
She told the : “I think the chances of them feeling extra awful are higher than someone who had a regular dose.”
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Astrid Koornneef, group manager operations for the Covid-19 vaccine and immunisation programme, also said that people who have had higher than the recommended doses should seek clinical advice.
"We are very concerned about this situation and are working with the appropriate agencies," she said.
"To assume another person's identity and receive a medical treatment is dangerous.
"This puts at risk the person who receives a vaccination under an assumed identify and the person whose health record will show they have been vaccinated when they have not."
She added an "inaccurate vaccination status"; puts the individual, friends and the whole community at risk.
Meanwhile, as authorities continue to investigate how the man was able to access multiple vaccines unchallenged, health officials are concerned about the ramifications of complicating the identification process.
Reports suggest that they are worried that people who wish to get vaccinated, but don't have photo ID, could be deterred from getting the jab.
A health ministry spokesperson said these people tended to belong to vulnerable groups in the community like the homeless, disabled or the elderly and could face discrimination.
“We don't want to create barriers to their vaccination,” they said.
New Zealand is currently expected to hit its 90% double vaccinated goal for the eligible population before Christmas despite a rise in cases.
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It comes as the country recently adopted a new “traffic light” system where regions were put into a red, orange or green setting depending on their level of exposure to Covid and vaccination rates.
Reported figures suggest that of the fully vaccinated population, 91 per cent have now downloaded a “My Vaccine Pass” - contrary to protests against their usage from some corners of the population.