The delta variant of the coronavirus has become the most prevalent strain across the USA, claiming lives and requiring hospitalization for thousands of people.
Some colleges and universities in the country are imposing proof of COVID-19 vaccination as mandatory for students to attend physical classes.
However, people being people, the law led to numerous individuals interested in cheating the system, interviews with students and officials revealed.
The Associated Press interviewed both college officials and students from dozens of schools, and most of them are worried about how simple it is to obtain a fake vaccination card.
The phenomenon has turned into quite an online industry to support those who pretend that they got vaccinated but didn’t due to personal or religious reasons.
Instagram account “vaccinationcards” has been spotted selling laminated COVID-19 vaccination cards for $25 each.
A Telegram user sells “COVID-19 Vaccine Cards Certificates” for “only” $200 apiece.
That is the price some people are willing to pay to trick the system and put others in danger.
Here’s what one Reddit user had to say in a thread related to the subject of false COVID-19 vaccination cards:
“I need one, too, for college. I refuse to be a guinea pig.”
An official tally from The Chronicle of Higher Education states that over 675 colleges and universities currently require proof of COVID-19 vaccinations.
However, for many institutions, the confirmation process for the vaccination is as simple as uploading a picture of the vaccine card to a student’s portal.
However, some institutions like the Vanderbilt University of Nashville place a hold on a student’s course registration until the vaccination proof is double-checked with official databases unless the student is excepted from being vaccinated due to an approved medical accommodation or religious exemption.