- A man in
New Zealand is accused of running a "vaccination-by-proxy" scheme, per reports. - He allegedly took payments to receive
vaccinations on behalf of other people, reports say.
A man in New Zealand who is accused of running a fraudulent "vaccination-by-proxy" scheme is currently under investigation by the country's Ministry of Health, Newsweek reported.
He received up to 10 COVID-19 shots in a single day on behalf of other people as part of the scheme, per Stuff New Zealand.
The man is accused of being hired by and taking payments from those seeking to falsify their vaccine records in order to be afforded the freedoms granted to those who are vaccinated, per the New Zealand Herald.
In New Zealand, The Guardian said, unvaccinated people, face restrictions on gathering sizes and entering hospitality businesses at high alert levels. Those who have had their shots, on the other hand, are able to visit restaurants, bars, and gyms at all alert levels.
The man is believed to have visited several vaccination centers as part of the scheme, Stuff New Zealand reported. The locations of these centers have not been disclosed.
Per the New Zealand Herald, Astrid Koornneef, the country's group manager of operations for the COVID-19 vaccine and immunization program, said that the Ministry of Health is aware of the issue.
"We are very concerned about this situation and are working with the appropriate agencies," she said.
Koornneef told Newsweek in a statement that those who have had more shots than recommended in a single day to "seek clinical advice as soon as possible."
"This is not a safe thing to do, this is putting that person at risk," Auckland University professor Nikki Turner, medical director of the Immunisation Advisory Centre, told Stuff.
Insider reached out to New Zealand's Ministry of Health for comment but did not immediately receive a response.