Don’t fall for these COVID-19 vaccine-related scams.
Getty Images
For the most up-to-date news and information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the WHO website.
Despite its many tribulations, 2020 ended on a high note: Two COVID-19 vaccines became available in December (and a third followed shortly, becoming available in January). But with the vaccine rollout came many myths and fear, and now, scams.
Coronavirus scams are nothing new — the FBI halted hundreds of coronavirus scams in 2020, from fake cures to charity drives — but 2021 opened with a number of scams related to the vaccine directly.
The FBI released a warning letter to the public on Dec. 21, encouraging people to stay vigilant and beware of vaccine scams, like these eight that have been circulating.
Our Health & Wellness newsletter puts the best products, updates and advice in your inbox.
Scam: Paying for priority access
Priority groups have already been determined by the federal government.
Photo by Joshua Roberts/Getty Images
The federal government has outlined the vaccine rollout schedule, and there’s no way to jump the line. You can’t pay to skip ahead of health care professionals, long-term care facility residents and workers, senior adults, educators, firefighters, police officers, agricultural workers and other essential workers in priority groups.
Protect yourself:Ignore unsolicited emails, texts and phone calls asking you to pay for priority access to a COVID-19 vaccine. Don’t click on online advertisements, event pages or other web pages that promise priority access for a fee.
Scam: Scheduling appointments through Eventbrite and other platforms
While you may have to schedule an appointment for your COVID-19 vaccine when the time comes for you to get it, it won’t happen through Eventbrite or other event platforms. Scammers may steal your personal information when you submit it through signup forms.
Protect yourself:When it’s time for you to get the vaccine, call the health care facility you plan to go to. Make an appointment over the phone if needed.
Scam: Paying out-of-pocket for the vaccine
You shouldn’t have to pay out-of-pocket for the COVID-19 vaccine.
Getty Images
The COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be free to everyone in the US, whether or not you have health insurance. You shouldn’t pay for the vaccine, nor should you expect a surprise bill after the fact, because the federal government has written into law that the vaccine will pose no cost to Americans.
You might get a bill for a vaccine administration fee or other copay, but it’s unclear whether those fees are required to be paid in full by insurance companies or by reimbursement funds. If you request other medical services at the time of your vaccine appointment, you may be required to pay for those services or request reimbursement from your insurance.
Protect yourself:If you’re being asked to pay for the vaccine, especially ahead of time, don’t. If you get a bill in error, call your provider, explain the issue and explore your reimbursement options.
Scam: Requiring a virus test or antibody test before getting the vaccine
You don’t need proof of a COVID-19 test to get the vaccine.
Getty Images
You don’t need proof of a COVID-19 virus test or an antibody test to get the vaccine. However, scammers have made an opportunity out of this as well, and are contacting people via phone, text and email requesting that people purchase and take a test. Advertisements of this nature are popping up online, too.
Protect yourself:There’s no requirement to take a COVID-19 test or antibody test before getting the COVID-19 vaccine, so ignore any phone calls, text messages, emails or advertisements that tell you to do so.
Scam: Paying to put your name on a waiting list
While there is technically a waiting list for COVID-19 vaccine doses, you don’t have to pay to get on it — everyone already is, starting with high-risk and high-priority people. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, expects the vaccine to become available to the general public around midsummer to early fall in 2021, Forbes reports, so if you’re not in a priority group as described in the vaccine rollout plan, don’t expect to get your vaccine before then unless public health officials say otherwise.
Protect yourself:Ignore requests to pay a fee to get on a COVID-19 vaccine waitlist and don’t provide personal or financial information to anyone asking you to do this. If you call a health care facility to register to get the vaccine, they may put you on a waitlist, but should not charge a fee.
Scam: Getting the dose shipped to you for a fee
The vaccine isn’t being shipped anywhere except to medical centers and pharmacies involved in the rollout. You cannot get the COVID-19 vaccine shipped to your home, and any advertisement that promises to do this is fake. Scammers may collect your personal or financial information this way.
Protect yourself:Knowing that you can’t receive a COVID-19 vaccine anywhere other than a pharmacy or medical facility, don’t attempt to get a vaccine shipped to your home.
Scam: Emails, text messages and phone calls from fake vaccine centers and insurance companies
Don’t give any information to an unsolicited caller or texter promising anything about a COVID-19 vaccine.
Getty Images
You may receive an unsolicited message or call from someone claiming to work for a vaccine center, pharmacy or insurance company. These scammers might ask for personal and medical information to find out if you’re eligible to receive the vaccine — but everyone is eligible to receive the vaccine, just at different times.
Protect yourself:Ignore phone calls and text messages from unfamiliar numbers. Don’t open suspicious emails and definitely don’t click any links or provide personal information. Also, when it’s time for you to get the vaccine, only go to a reputable pharmacy or health care facility.
Scam: Online ads for vaccine doses from unofficial sources
Scammers are advertising COVID-19 vaccines as if a vaccine is any other product you can order online. Any advertisement that doesn’t come from an official public health source is likely attempting to lead you to a phishing website where scammers can steal your personal or financial information.
Protect yourself: Ignore any ads from unofficial sources. Official public health sources include the CDC, WHO, FDA and other government agencies, as well as hospitals, pharmacies and other medical centers.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government says it could be months before it reveals how many people are on the wait-list for a family doctor.
The head of the province’s health authority told reporters Wednesday that the government won’t release updated data until the 160,000 people who were on the wait-list in June are contacted to verify whether they still need primary care.
Karen Oldfield said Nova Scotia Health is working on validating the primary care wait-list data before posting new numbers, and that work may take a matter of months. The most recent public wait-list figures are from June 1, when 160,234 people, or about 16 per cent of the population, were on it.
“It’s going to take time to make 160,000 calls,” Oldfield said. “We are not talking weeks, we are talking months.”
The interim CEO and president of Nova Scotia Health said people on the list are being asked where they live, whether they still need a family doctor, and to give an update on their health.
A spokesperson with the province’s Health Department says the government and its health authority are “working hard” to turn the wait-list registry into a useful tool, adding that the data will be shared once it is validated.
Nova Scotia’s NDP are calling on Premier Tim Houston to immediately release statistics on how many people are looking for a family doctor. On Tuesday, the NDP introduced a bill that would require the health minister to make the number public every month.
“It is unacceptable for the list to be more than three months out of date,” NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Tuesday.
Chender said releasing this data regularly is vital so Nova Scotians can track the government’s progress on its main 2021 campaign promise: fixing health care.
The number of people in need of a family doctor has more than doubled between the 2021 summer election campaign and June 2024. Since September 2021 about 300 doctors have been added to the provincial health system, the Health Department said.
“We’ll know if Tim Houston is keeping his 2021 election promise to fix health care when Nova Scotians are attached to primary care,” Chender said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Newfoundland and Labrador‘s chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says that so far this year, the province has recorded 230 confirmed cases of the vaccine-preventable respiratory tract infection, also known as pertussis.
Late last month, Quebec reported more than 11,000 cases during the same time period, while Ontario counted 470 cases, well above the five-year average of 98. In Quebec, the majority of patients are between the ages of 10 and 14.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick has declared a whooping cough outbreak across the province. A total of 141 cases were reported by last month, exceeding the five-year average of 34.
The disease can lead to severe complications among vulnerable populations including infants, who are at the highest risk of suffering from complications like pneumonia and seizures. Symptoms may start with a runny nose, mild fever and cough, then progress to severe coughing accompanied by a distinctive “whooping” sound during inhalation.
“The public, especially pregnant people and those in close contact with infants, are encouraged to be aware of symptoms related to pertussis and to ensure vaccinations are up to date,” Newfoundland and Labrador’s Health Department said in a statement.
Whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics, but vaccination is the most effective way to control the spread of the disease. As a result, the province has expanded immunization efforts this school year. While booster doses are already offered in Grade 9, the vaccine is now being offered to Grade 8 students as well.
Public health officials say whooping cough is a cyclical disease that increases every two to five or six years.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick’s acting chief medical officer of health expects the current case count to get worse before tapering off.
A rise in whooping cough cases has also been reported in the United States and elsewhere. The Pan American Health Organization issued an alert in July encouraging countries to ramp up their surveillance and vaccination coverage.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2024.
All orders are protected by SSL encryption – the highest industry standard for online security from trusted vendors.
Bizarre Sunlight Loophole Melts Belly Fat Fast! is backed with a 60 Day No Questions Asked Money Back Guarantee. If within the first 60 days of receipt you are not satisfied with Wake Up Lean™, you can request a refund by sending an email to the address given inside the product and we will immediately refund your entire purchase price, with no questions asked.
