If it isn’t being administered by an approved medical professional, think twice.
As Dr. Rodney Gin, physician and co-founder of Sitejabber.com points out, early detection of the coronavirus could potentially help to curb its spread. If you suspect you have the virus and you use a self-administered at-home test kit, you could potentially go into quarantine earlier, if you’re infected. But this is all conjecture.
Aside from testing, how else can you help stop the pandemic? You can do so by washing your hands, wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, and getting your COVID-19 vaccine.
At the time of this writing, almost 30 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the US. And millions more are on the way daily. The safest way to get in line for a vaccination is to call your doctor or local health authority. But things aren’t always so easy. Vast numbers of people want to be vaccinated as soon as they can and vaccine rollout cannot match the demand. At least not overnight. This gap between supply and demand, as Dr. Nikos Passas, a professor of criminology and criminal justice at Northeastern University points out in Northeastern news online, most often gives rise to illegal markets.
Vaccine Toxicity
In light of this, Passas, along with a team of researchers is attempting to stop the spread of fake COVID-19 vaccines globally. This is being done by working together with banks, law enforcement, and pharmaceutical companies around the world. The idea is stop people from selling coronavirus vaccines illegally. Authentic vaccines that are stolen for profit could be transported in ways that do not preserve the vaccine properly.
Related: This is What Should Happen at Your COVID-19 Vaccination Appointment
(Pfizer’s vaccine needs to be kept at minus 70 degrees Celsius, for example). If this vaccine begins to degrade because it hasn’t been kept in ultra-cold storage along the supply chain, its chemical makeup can change. Injecting this altered vaccine could be potentially toxic to humans.
How can you ensure the COVID-19 vaccine you are about to receive is safe? Check out these 5 tips offered by The Department of Homeland Security for steering clear of falsehoods.
Go to an approved licensed professional
By ‘licensed professional’ we aren’t referencing your neighbor who sells real estate. For a safe COVID-19 vaccine, make sure you get your inoculation from a fully licensed and accredited medical professional who has been approved to administer the vaccine. Not every medical professional is permitted to give the vaccine, so do a bit of homework.
Avoid buying over the internet
This should go without saying, but it’s important to realize that getting a COVID-19 vaccine is not the same as being tested for the virus. It’s a different story. You can buy authorized COVID-19 test kits online that will test you properly for infection. The same is not true when it comes to vaccines. You should not purchase a COVID-19 vaccine over the internet. You cannot tell where it is really coming from, even if it appears to be from an online pharmacy.
Stay away from unsolicited vaccine offers
Is someone pressuring you to buy their COVID vaccine? Don’t give in. The vaccine is not being sold legally through individuals and you cannot track it’s safety this way.
Avoid texts, emails, and phone calls
Unless you are getting messages from your local pharmacy or your doctor about an appointment, be leery of texts, emails, and phone calls that promote a COVID-19 vaccine. These are most likely criminal in nature. Don’t be led down this path as the results could endanger your health.
Don’t trust social media
Are ads popping up on your Facebook or Twitter accounts, attempting to sell you a vaccine? This is illicit activity. Report it to the social media platform you are on and don’t click on it.
For a safe COVID-19 vaccine talk to your doctor or visit your local health clinic or a reputable pharmacy. Never go through individual, non-accredited sellers. You do not know what their so-called vaccine contains, and they are most likely acting illegally.
In addition you can keep your community safe by reporting suspicious vaccine activities by email to [email protected] and stay safe.
For a list of fake coronavirus treatments compiled by the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA), click here.
photo credits: Boreiko/Shutterstock.com
