The Rise of Fraudulent COVID-19 Vaccination Cards

The growing controversy of COVID-19 protocols presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been characterized by the rising rejection and falsification of COVID-19 vaccination cards. The cards were first introduced in December of 2020 to help organize and document who received the vaccine, and while these cards were an effort to mediate the pandemic, they served as more fuel to the fire of the COVID-19 scene.

Though counterfeit COVID-19 cards were an issue the moment they were introduced, the amount of cards in circulation has skyrocketed in the past 6 months since President Biden released a new vaccine mandate in September of 2021. The COVID-19 action plan tackled multiple areas of vaccination protocols such as: requiring employers with over 100 employees to make sure their workers were testing regularly or were vaccinated, requiring healthcare workers to get vaccinated, and most notable to the public eye, calling large entertainment venues to require proof of vaccination or testing for entry.

The third requirement sparked an immediate response from anti-vaxxers and those who felt the protocols enforced were too overbearing. Within a month of the mandate’s announcement, more than 6,000 fake vaccination cards were seized and confiscated by U.S. Customs and Border Control at airports and shipping ports across the United States. Likewise, the mandate bolstered the black-market economy with the estimated cost of fake cards doubling from $100 to $200 and the estimated number of sellers jumping from 1,200 to 10,000. Though the fraudulent cards have been distributed physically, black market sellers have largely conducted their business on services such as Telegram, where the market has been flourishing exponentially. 

An Ethical Perspective

Clearly, the nature of controversy surrounding fake COVID-19 cards surrounds more areas of discussion than one. The dispute has brought to light the severity of economic infidelity and has shown how the monetization of black-market affairs overrides the merit of mandates and federal law. Despite this, the ethical issues and debates surrounding the topic have generally shifted the spotlight from the commerce element of the controversy.

The opposing sides on vaccination status have been at war since the vaccine was produced, but the growing number of fake vaccination cards has initiated a call of action to debate whether or not it is ethical to carry one. Pro-Vaxxers like New York Democratic State Assembly member Jeffrey Dinowitz would claim the act is completely unethical. In June 2021, he and other State Assembly members passed a bill that would make it a crime to possess or forge phony COVID-19 cards.

When asked about the nature of swelling fake card cases at a press assembly Dinowitz said, “I can’t think of too many things more despicable than people not wanting to get vaccinated but wanting proof that they were. They’re potentially putting people who can’t get the vaccine in harm’s way, like those who are immunocompromised or children under 12. That’s a horrible thing to do.”

The bill was created to push COVID-19 mandates and protocols more directly in the State of New York, and to reinforce the federal law prohibiting fake medical records and the purchase or selling of fraudulent documents with government seals. This law that punishes violators with a hefty fine and up to five years in prison. But with federal punishment and now state legislature pushing to follow suit, why are people still willing to buy fake COVID-19 vaccination cards?

One anonymous source with a fake vaccination card, decided to share their thoughts and perspective on the matter. When asked about their feelings toward their fake card and opinions on whether they should keep it, they stated:

“Honestly, I’m not sure. I know it’s technically not ethical to have one, but I also personally believe the mandates in place for COVID are extreme in some areas and the card feels like the only way I can really live normally. Being around areas in LA county I can’t really do anything. I struggle a lot being indoors and having a card means I can go places I otherwise couldn’t. I’m also not comfortable getting the vaccine, and I don’t want to feel punished for a decision that is a personal choice.”

The anonymous source goes on to talk about their views on the pandemic overall, implying that though they don’t believe in/nor feel comfortable with receiving the vaccine, they still understand the reality of it. They feel the CDC and government protocols still strip them of their ability to live the way they should be allowed to.

Conclusively, though the number COVID-19 cases will fluctuate in the months to come, the turmoil and arguments surrounding the topic are likely to persist far into the future.

As the statistical data trends suggest, the distribution of fake COVID-19 vaccine cards is likely to stay in action as well. Despite the various incriminating repercussions of possessing a fake card, society has demonstrated a lenience towards having one in the name of monetization and ethical ambiguity.

For some, the risk of not abiding by COVID-19 protocol pales in comparison to the reward of economic success found in black-market affairs. For others, the possession of a fraudulent card symbolizes a voice in a much larger ethical dispute and discussion on the implementation of health care protocols across the United States. If nothing else, the nature of the fake COVID-19 card controversy has shown that whether right or wrong, society is willing to readily break federal law or firm ethical beliefs for monetary benefits.