PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia police are investigating the suspected theft of 5,000 COVID-19 vaccination cards at Pennsylvania Hospital near Washington Square.
Police were called to the hospital near Eighth and Spruce Streets last Tuesday. A hospital senior director said they had cases of blank vaccine cards at their COVID-19 vaccine clinic, and when they went to open the box, they noticed about 5,000 cards missing. N-95 masks were also taken.
The administrator notified the head of security, who then reported it to police.
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Investigators believe the cards may have been taken over a few days or weeks. There was no sign of forced entry.
Since the cards are issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, they could have street value, as there have been numerous reports around the country of stolen cards sold on the black market.
Last week, two nurses in New York were charged with selling fake vaccine cards, totaling $1.5 million.
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As of Thursday evening, no one had been arrested or charged, and detectives are continuing to investigate.
A spokesperson for the hospital said in a statement:
"Safety and security are top priorities in all of our facilities. When this issue was discovered, we promptly reported it to the Philadelphia police and are cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation."
