New York Governor: "A $1 Million Fine for Vaccine Queue Jumping"

"Fraud Will Not Be Tolerated in the Vaccination Process"
Pharmaceutical Company Pakare Faces Allegations of Illegal Vaccine Sales

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The state of New York in the United States announced that it will issue an administrative order to prevent illegal sales, fraud, and queue-jumping related to COVID-19 vaccination. This measure is interpreted as a crackdown in response to suspicions that some pharmaceutical companies are diverting vaccines, which are currently only allowed for priority recipients, and illegally selling them at high prices.

According to foreign media such as CNBC on the 28th (local time), New York Governor Andrew Cuomo stated in a press release that he will sign an administrative order imposing license revocation and a fine of $1 million (about 1.1 billion KRW) on medical personnel, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals caught engaging in illegal sales, unauthorized vaccinations, or fraudulent activities related to COVID-19 vaccination. Governor Cuomo emphasized, "Vaccines are valuable commodities, and because many people want the vaccine, fraud can occur during the vaccination process. We want to send a clear signal to suppliers that if they break the law, we will find out and prosecute them."

Governor Cuomo also stated, "The New York State Attorney General is currently investigating whether some healthcare clinics in the region have obtained and sold COVID-19 vaccines through fraudulent means." Although details of the investigation were not disclosed, he added that the pharmaceutical company Pakare is involved. Previously, on the day before, Howard Zucker, Commissioner of the New York State Department of Health, stated in a press release that Pakare had illegally secured vaccines and vaccinated people who were not priority recipients according to New York State guidelines. Like most parts of the United States, New York is currently vaccinating priority groups such as medical personnel and residents and staff of long-term care facilities, and the general public has not yet been vaccinated.

As demand for the initial supply of vaccines surges in the United States, illegal cases of paying extra to receive the vaccine early, mainly among the wealthy, continue to be reported. According to Bloomberg News, so-called concierge doctors, who provide premium medical services primarily on a self-pay basis, are suspected of illegally selling vaccines to wealthy clients. Bloomberg News pointed out that concierge doctors in some affluent areas are attempting various schemes to divert vaccines due to their clients' vaccine demand.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.