Police believe the practice of someone taking vaccinations on behalf of others is not common, but any reports will be taken seriously. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
Police believe the practice of someone taking vaccinations on behalf of others is not common, but any reports will be taken seriously. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
Police are investigating at least one report of someone being approached in relation to getting the vaccine on behalf of another, but it is not considered a widespread issue.
In a statement, a police spokesperson confirmed officers were investigating a report of this nature. However, the spokesperson said they werenot aware of such reports being common.
However, they said any claims people were taking the vaccine on behalf of others would be taken seriously.
The Ministry of Health recently confirmed it was aware of people getting vaccinations on behalf of others and had informed police.
It follows a report made to the NZ Herald about a person offering to take someone else's vaccination for money.
The Ministry's Covid-19 vaccine and immunisation programme national director Jo Gibbs said an inaccurate vaccination put not only the person at risk, but the wider community.
Immunologist Graham Le Gros - director of the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research and the programme director of the Vaccine Alliance. Photo / NZME
Immunologist Graham Le Gros - director of the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research and the programme director of the Vaccine Alliance - told the Herald last month it was a dangerous practice.
"[There's] great potential for harm and it should not be done," he said.
"You could actually take the immune system to a level that's not healthy.
"It could even be counter-productive, you can actually be hyper-immunised, which may not be helpful."
Asked what would happen if someone received a multitude of vaccinations over a short period of time, Le Gros said it was hard to speculate, given it was not a commonly investigated topic.
However, he said it was likely it would cause and inappropriate immune response, which might have unintended consequences.
"It doesn't make you any more protected, it actually can make you vulnerable to other conditions."
Le Gros said there was a clear distinction between the potential benefits of a booster shot or third shot for immunocompromised people, and the excessive administration of vaccines, which was not advised.
Immunisation Advisory Centre medical director Peter McIntyre echoed Le Gros in his condemnation of the practice.
"To knowingly give yourself a number of additional vaccines, particularly a young person doing it, it could [stimulate your immune system] in ways that you really don't want to happen.
"It would be a very unwise and foolish thing to do."
He hoped people would learn from stories told by Covid-positive people who regretted their earlier stance against the vaccine.
Proof of identification is not required at vaccination centres as it risked reduced engagement for vulnerable populations in the rollout.
Gibbs emphasised the importance of people being honest about their vaccination status.
"To assume another person's identity and receive a medical treatment is dangerous. This puts at risk the person who receives a vaccination under an assumed identify and the person whose health record will show they have been vaccinated when they have not."
