The White House and Amazon confirmed to Politico they re in talks about the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Amazon offered to help the Biden administration with
Several leading U.S. corporations have stepped up to help ensure COVID-19 vaccines get to the public as quickly as possible, while others have been slow to respond.
Stealing, bribing, VIP scheduling
Some people have set out to steal, bribe or manipulate their way to vaccine. Last month, Polk County, Florida s 2020 Paramedic of the Year was arrested and charged with stealing vaccines meant for first responders. The first responder confessed to stealing three doses and forging paperwork to try to cover his actions.
In Philadelphia, a 22-year-old student who got a contract from the city to run its vaccine distribution sign-up admitted he took four doses home and administered them to friends. The city announced last week that it would no longer work with his startup.
Several concierge doctors – who offer personalized medical services and direct access for an annual fee – reported clients or would-be clients offering bribes for vaccine.
Cutting, bribing, stealing: Some people get COVID-19 vaccines before it s their turn
Grace Hauck, USA TODAY
Bribing doctors. Circulating vaccination appointment codes. Chartering planes and impersonating essential workers.
More than a month since the USA began administering COVID-19 vaccines, many people who were not supposed to be first in line have received vaccinations. Anecdotal reports suggest people deliberately leveraged widespread vulnerabilities in the distribution process to acquire vaccine. Others were just in the right place at the right time. There s dozens and dozens of these stories, and they really show that the rollout was a complete disaster in terms of selling fairness, said Arthur Caplan, who heads the medical ethics division at the NYU School of Medicine. It wasn’t that we didn’t have consensus (on who should go first). We didn’t pay attention to logistics, and that drove distribution, not rules.