Shots in the shadows
Coveted COVID- 19 Chinese vaccines provoke social media scams, scalpers targeting overseas Chinese
“Ican secure you a dose of Sinopharm with a very competitive price of 3,000 yuan ($ 458) for two doses, getting injected in a first- class public hospital in Beijing. Many like you have approached me asking for quick accessibility, and no one reported any serious adverse reaction so far,” Xiao said when peddling COVID- 19 vaccines via WeChat to a Global Times reporter who pretended to be a student going abroad and desperate for vaccine.
Xiao, who declined to tell the reporter her full name as many of her peers, is one of many vaccine “scalpers” lurking in the social media circles of Chinese students planning to study abroad, selling her business opportunities.
As the vaccine has not been officially approved for mass injection, the scalpers aim at the chance to earn a windfall by promising potential clients quicker accessibility to it without queueing amid higher demand in emergency use.
Global Times reporters found that the COVID- 19 vaccines claimed by scalpers are being sold for excessive rates in a thriving black market, or more specifically, across social media.
Most scalpers claim they have personal connections with leading Chinese vaccine producers – mainly Sinopharm and Sinovac – and are able to secure vaccines with a charge of between 3,000 to 7,000 yuan for two doses, at least seven times the reported regular vaccine price ( 200 yuan for single dose of Sinovac’s vaccine).
A scalper that the Global Times reached even claimed himself as an internal staff member of Sinopharm who can offer the “quickest fast track” in the registration process – as soon as within one day. Others estimate the process to be two to five days.
A v vaccination scheme whe where “two doses are ad administered simult taneously” is also available for those in emergencies with a cheaper price, reads the advertisement, despite such a method of vaccination being strongly not advised by experts due to higher risks and non- effective immunity.
The vaccine package and certificate in their advertisement looks no difference to the one officially released by producers. A student who bought a scalper’s service on Wednesday told the Global Times that he checked the vaccine’s production date, type, producers, and production- tracking barcodes when getting the injection but did not find any obvious faults.
Under the scalper’s services, reservation registration for vaccines requires users to provide their real name, ID number, passport number and address. Vaccination sites vary from public hospitals and hotels to partnered medical agencies, but all in the capital Beijing, scalpers claimed.
Both Sinopharm and Sinovac have denied they entrusted any individuals or agents to sell the un warned the public n such ads.
The Wuhan Inst Products, affiliated clarification in Augu cine had not yet bee and that hat there was n white paper given i b provider New Orien procuring a vaccine as it seems to not b cept some cities suc in East China’s Zhe Province.
Many posts of yo students seeking ch nels to be vaccinate pervasive across soc media. Some stude are stuck overseas during the outbreak and are now planni their way to fly back for a potential dose
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