Health officials in Vancouver say they are aware of cases of people trying to pay vulnerable people in the city’s Downtown Eastside to get vaccinated so they can fraudulently obtain a COVID-19 vaccine passport.
The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority would not confirm how many cases were involved, but did confirm that at least a handful of reports of people obtained fake BC vaccination cards through what it called “deplorable” behavior.
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The fraudulent activity was first reported by online publication the tiee, which quoted a DTES health worker whose patient told him he had been paid $200 to have someone else get the vaccine.
Union Gospel Mission spokeswoman Nicole Mucci said scammers were taking advantage of the desperation of some people in the Downtown Eastside.
“The reality is that for anyone experiencing substance abuse or homelessness, the opportunity to earn several hundred dollars is not an option, it’s a survival tactic,” he said.
News of the fraud also drew a stern rebuke from the province’s health minister on Thursday.
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“Whatever the Penal Code evidence is, it’s deceptive and fraudulent behavior that takes place at DTES, presumably so people can get a shot card and, I don’t know, go to a restaurant,” Adrian Dix said.
“It seems like pretty abhorrent behavior.”
The most vulnerable in the Downtown Eastside are at particularly high risk for COVID-19, and are estimated to be four times more likely to have serious outcomes from the virus.
As a result, health officials have lowered barriers to vaccination, including creating pop-up vaccination clinics throughout DTES and removing the requirement to provide photo ID, a source familiar with the immunization drive told Global News. .
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Vancouver Coastal Health said it had since put measures in place, including identity verification, to prevent similar attempts.
“Fudulent immunization records are being removed from the Provincial Immunization Registry and BC immunization cards are being revoked,” he said.
Health officials did not report the fraudulent cards to police, but said Thursday that future cases “may be forwarded to local law enforcement authorities for follow-up.”
Earlier this month, Edmonton police said they had opened an investigation into similar claims in that city.
That came after an emergency room nurse said at least six patients came into the hospital saying they were paid to receive multiple vaccinations.
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Reference-globalnews.ca