PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A man in New Zealand is under investigation, with some calling him "unbelievably selfish," after he received 10 vaccines for the coronavirus in just one day.
The man recently visited 10 vaccination clinics over the course of a single day, collecting a vaccination incentive from each, according to a report by Stuff.
In response to the report, New Zealand Health Minister Astrid Koornneef said officials are trying to determine how this happened.
"We are taking this matter very seriously," she said. "We are very concerned about this situation and are working with the appropriate agencies."
Koornneef added that the unidentified man should seek medical assistance.
"If you know of someone who has had more vaccine doses than recommended they should seek clinical advice as soon as practicable," she said.
Helen Petousis-Harris, a vaccinologist, told the New Zealand Herald it's unlikely the man will suffer any serious harm.
"We know that people have in error been given the whole five doses in a vial instead of it being diluted, we know that has happened overseas, and we know with other vaccines errors have occurred and there has been no long-term problems," she said.
The man was reportedly paid incentives to receive the shots. Petousis-Harris called the behavior "unbelievably selfish."
Health officials have not revealed the locations of the vaccination sites the man visited. It's also not clear if the man used his real name or assumed someone else's identity. Either way, it's a problem, Koornneef said.
"Medical practitioners operate in a high-trust environment and rely on people to act in good faith to share information accurately to assist with their treatment," Koornneef told the Herald.
Some reports indicate the man was paid by anti-vaxxers to get their shots -- pretending to be a different person when he visited each clinic. It all has to do with proof of vaccination, which New Zealand residents must provide to visit some businesses and attend events.
"To assume another person's identity and receive a medical treatment is dangerous," Koornneef said. "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."
The incident remains under investigation.
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