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Friday, March 29, 2024

Area residents warned to beware of multiple COVID-19 vaccine scams

Tri-county area residents are being warned of several scams involving COVID-19 vaccines.

In Pasco and Pinellas counties, health officials used the online event management site Eventbrite to allow area seniors to quickly register. But fake pages popped up that demanded a credit card payment in order to be registered.
Similar scams are occurring across the country and worldwide in a variety of forms, including:

  • Telephone calls offering vaccine registration for a fee;
  • E-mails or other solicitation purporting to be from a medical center seeking personal information to determine eligibility for a vaccine trial; and
  • Marketers offering to ship vaccine doses, either domestically or internationally, for an exorbitant fee.

Health officials say residents should remember that registering for the COVID-19 vaccine always will be free.

Currently, Florida Department of Health online vaccine registration is suspended in Marion County after 50,000 seniors signed up within the first week. This temporary suspension will allow staff to clear duplicate entries and to align scheduling with increasing vaccine supply and distribution capability.