A British Columbia health agency (BC) is promptly telling the public not to buy COVID-19 vaccines sold online or advertised from unauthorized sources, stating they may pose health risks, are counterfeit, and are ineffective at shielding people from the COVID-19 virus.
Fake COVID-19 Vaccines
ImmunizeBC, financially supported by the BC Ministry of Health to provide vaccination information and tools for BC residents, posted the scam warning on social media on Tuesday. They remarked they have heard about emails and websites selling the alleged fake vaccines.
According to ImmunizeBC, there have been several reports vowing to provide novel coronavirus vaccines for money. However, the products do not work and could elicit harm towards people who use them.
BC wrote on Twitter, "These scams take advantage of genuine fears and worries, targeting those who are most vulnerable in our communities," reported World News Era.
The organization stated the only way to access safe and potent doses of the coronavirus vaccine is through clinics regulated or endorsed by local public health authorities.
Any information on the selling or advertising of counterfeit COVID-19 vaccines should be submitted to Health Canada, reported Castanet.
The COVID-19 inoculation program will involve developing vaccines available to all people in the province who the vaccine is recommended for and who would prefer to be immunized.
BC aims to have vaccines accessible for all people who choose to be inoculated by the end of 2021.
If you are anxiously waiting to be vaccinated against COVID-19, it is advised not to resort to purchasing a product online to get the process over with.
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To date, 92,369 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been disseminated in the province. Also, in the previous week, health officials declared that they anticipate 3.4 million doses of the novel coronavirus vaccine to be distributed in BC by June.
In December, Health Canada released a similar advisory, cautioning Canadians about the supposed vaccines sold on the internet.
According to the agency in the notice, "Health Canada evaluates the safety, efficacy and quality of any drug or vaccine before it can be legally sold in Canada and all vaccines require specific storage conditions in order to maintain their quality. COVID-19 vaccines have a tightly-controlled supply chain, and will only be provided through clinics organized or endorsed by your local public health authority," reported The Epoch Times.
It would take a certain amount of time before there are adequate vaccines for all.
Notwithstanding the fact that some people will be able to be administered a COVID-19 vaccine soon, it is still very essential to wash your hands, follow public health orders, wear a face mask, physical distance, and stay indoors when sick.
Additional 20 million doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 were purchased by Canada previously this January. It also does not include vaccines that are yet to be approved by Health Canada, including the Johnson&Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines.
Ottawa declared on January 15 that the shipment of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine would be delayed because the company needs to upgrade its European production facility.
