Corona virus vaccination: Fake certificates jeopardize inoculation drive

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Aug 2, 2021: After living through three consecutive waves of novel corona virus, the fourth spell, fighting the highly transferable delta variant, has left the government scrambling to maintain strict protocols.

This includes an unprecedented increase in the nationwide vaccination campaign against corona virus, where prompt vaccination is mandatory for all public and private sector employees except those wishing to travel. However, the need for immunizations seems to have opened a new avenue of concern, as reports of fake vaccination certificates are emerging across the country.

Experts fear that if attention is not paid, it could be the hole that eventually sinks Pakistan’s warship against Corona virus.

The authorities have taken action against more than four employees of the health department in Lahore and Shahdara while also canceling the illegally issued corona virus vaccine certificates.

Although the investigation is still ongoing, sources claim that those arrested in Lahore could face legal charges for forging corona virus vaccine certificates under the Punjab Employee Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability (PEDA) Act.

According to Twitter whistleblowers depending on the cost of the vaccine, the corona virus vaccine certificates in big government hospitals can be forged between Rs 2,000 and Rs 10,000.

Some forgers, allegedly in connection with the vaccination campaign, have also turned to WhatsApp and other social media services to market their businesses. “Registration of Corona virus vaccine without any dose, confirmed by 1166,” a screenshot circulating on the Internet once advertised such a service.

Explaining the fake vaccination protocol, a source close to the matter said that suspicious vaccinators fill out a standard form with citizens which will be filled in any authorized vaccination center. “Like the actual corona virus vaccination process, they note the patient’s needs and perform the necessary check-ups.

However, the final stage of corona virus vaccine administration has been by-passed, while the data has been supposedly fed into the record system.

Similar cases have been reported in Mardan District (K-P) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where experts believe that vaccination counterfeiting could jeopardize the province’s large-scale vaccination efforts.

Two school teachers in the district were recently caught evading the corona virus vaccination process by skipping the jab desk and directly approaching the registration staff upon acquiring their token from the vaccination centre. “Both culprits, showing as vaccinated in the system are currently held in custody and being investigated for vaccination fraud,” told an official involved in the probe.

Karachi, which has emerged as a national hub for the more dangerous delta variant of the corona virus, has also become an emerging hub for vaccine counterfeiting.

The first case of its kind came to light on June 14, when dozens of people obtained fake vaccination cards from the city’s largest government corona virus vaccination facility at the Karachi Expo Center. The incident was reported in the media after which the police arrested and registered an FIR against a group of paramedics and nurses involved in the forgery.

A case registered at the Aziz Bhatti police station in Karachi revealed that the group also included an information technology expert who was responsible for hacking and altering data in the vaccination system. Later, on July 25, two suspects were also arrested from Defense, a high-profile neighborhood in Karachi, where the perpetrators were illegally vaccinating people’s homes in exchange for money.

Some vaccinators in the district came together to form an organized group responsible for issuing corona virus vaccines to households, including one of the vaccinators involved in copying the document. An inquiry was launched into the incident and a report was submitted to the department to identify the culprits but the department failed to take any action against the culprits.

The health department official involved claimed that the formation of other groups involved in corona virus vaccination fraud has been encouraged, which has now spread to other districts of the city.

In Karachi, there is little control. In Punjab however, a health official claimed he was aware of the problem and was taking steps to secure the accuracy of vaccination data in the province.

A spokesman for the health department confirmed, “The data provided to NADRA’s database is being double-checked and conciliation is being held with the health authorities to ensure that no one is found to be fake.” 

He added, “authorities have reprimanded 18 vaccinators for allegedly taking bribes for corona virus vaccine certificate forgery. Since then, only real entries are being made in the computer system for vaccination in 36 districts of Punjab.”

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