New Zealand authorities probe claims man received 10 Covid vaccinations in a day

Covid-19 vaccination in London.[Reuters]

New Zealand authorities are investigating claims that a man received up to 10 Covid-19 vaccinations in a day.

New Zealand’s Health Ministry said it was aware of the issue and taking necessary steps to investigate the incident, the Health vaccine program manager Astrid Koornneef told local media.     

“We are very concerned about this situation and are working with the appropriate agencies,” Koornneef said. 

New Zealand news outlets; The New Zealand Herald and Stuff reported that the unidentified man took ten vaccinations on behalf of other people who wanted the privileges of the vaccinated but did not want to take the shots.

He is said to have visited several vaccination centres, on the guise of being hired by individuals to take the jabs on their behalf.

"To assume another person's identity and receive medical treatment is dangerous. This puts at risk the person who receives a vaccination under an assumed identity and the person whose health record will show they have been vaccinated when they have not,” immunization program manager Koornneef said.

The country’s Health ministry would not say where the vaccinations took place but advised the man to visit a doctor as soon as possible.

“If you know of someone who has had more vaccine doses than recommended, they should seek clinical advice as soon as practicable,” Koornneef is quoted saying in New Zealand Herald.

No data on multiple shots

Stuff, who spoke to University of Auckland vaccinologist Helen Petousis-Harris reported that there isn’t sufficient data to prove what excessive Covid-19 vaccine doses might do to a person, but this could mean the vaccine doesn’t work well.

Harris said the man was likely to feel rough for a day or two as his body mounts an immune response to the multiple vaccines.

"It’s unbelievably selfish," she added.

Malaghan Institute Director and immunologist Graham Le Gros told DW that the actions were "silly and dangerous."

New Zealand has reported 13,067 Covid-19 cases and forty-seven deaths since the onset of the disease.