New York Attorney General Letitia James is warning New Yorkers about fake COVID-19 vaccination cards that are being illegally sold.
On Friday, James said that the distribution of these cards poses a serious threat to New York communities and has the ability to intercept the process being made to combat COVID-19 in New York.
“As the Delta variant becomes more prominent, it is more important than ever for New Yorkers to be vaccinated against COVID-19,” said Attorney General James.
“Not only do fake and fraudulently-completed vaccination cards violate federal and state laws and the public trust, but they also put the health of our communities at risk and potentially prolong this public health crisis. I strongly urge New Yorkers to reject these fake vaccination cards and get the COVID-19 vaccine, so that we can move forward from this pandemic and return to normalcy as soon as possible,” said James.
Ted Shaffrey/AP Photo
As stated above, utilizing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) seals, violates numerous federal and state New York laws. James stated that anyone who’s found using the fraudulent cards will be “subject to civil and criminal enforcement.”
College students are also at the helm of buying fake COVID-19 vaccination cards. Professor Benjamin Mason Meier of the University North Carolina stated that he’s talked to fellow students who know others that have possession of the fraudulent cards. On Wednesday, Meier told Newsweek that the students’ “individual actions could threaten the community at large.”
“My worry is that lots of students will become sick,” Meier continued. “Universities will say that ’95 percent of our students are vaccinated’—and that would shed doubt on the effectiveness of vaccines—when all it shows is that we lack the ability to show who is vaccinated who isn’t.”
“I imagine we’ll move toward a system of greater accountability, but we’re not there yet,” Meier concluded.
“Universities’ entire reopening plans are premised upon the word of students. Universities don’t have in place the kind of rigorous checks that this pandemic requires.”
Once an individual receives the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, which requires two doses, they will receive a vaccination card that will be updated after the second dose is administered. For those who receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, they will receive their vaccination card after their single dose. New Yorkers are advised not to share pictures of their vaccination card on social media. If they do, they must blur our private information to avoid their identity from being stolen.
Currently, the vaccine is available to all New Yorkers who are 12 years of age or older, free of charge.
