The U.S. government has launched a major effort to block the importation and sale of illegitimate coronavirus vaccines officials anticipate will flood the black market and dark web as people become desperate for the limited number of real vaccines.
“Based on current trends and through actionable intelligence, special agents anticipate that criminal organizations will continue to adapt and capitalize on public demand for access to vaccines and treatments as they are developed and approved,” the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations office said in an announcement this week. “With that, the agency expects a surge in illicit attempts to introduce counterfeit versions of approved vaccines into U.S. and global marketplaces.”
AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Pfizer have each announced largely successful results from vaccine tests but have yet to clear the U.S. Food and Drug Administration before millions of doses can go out. More than 20 million people in the United States are expected to be able to be vaccinated by Jan. 1, while more than 300 million others will have to wait until the spring when vaccines are more widely available.
Healthcare workers, essential employees, the elderly, and adults with preexisting conditions will have priority over the general public, which could prompt people to turn to online search results for the shots. Consumers who are not a high priority according to the government’s criteria could turn to the internet in search of the vaccine, just as millions did earlier this year when stores ran out of face masks, cleaning supplies, and toilet paper. But injecting a vaccine that has not been approved by the FDA could lead to serious health implications for unsuspecting consumers and wrongly affect how the public views vaccine results.
In light of the impending surge in criminal activity around vaccines, the HSI shifted agents to focus on detecting and thwarting counterfeit or unapproved vaccines and treatments after spending the past eight months tasked with blocking the importation of fake face masks, testing kits, and other supplies.
Since the HSI launched Operation Stolen Promise in April, it has arrested 186 people on criminal charges and seized $27 million worth of fake or unapproved coronavirus test kits and personal protective equipment, including face masks and gloves. In June, a senior Secret Service official told Congress the DHS agency had identified and thwarted approximately $1 billion worth of fraudulent claims seeking federal aid.
The HSI is working with more than 200 pharmaceutical companies as they develop vaccines, as well as packaging for the treatments. Customs and Border Protection officers who inspect all imports at airports, seaports, and land ports of entry can use the database when looking for cargo and mail.
“Many people, both in government and in industry, are working hard to ensure that the vaccines are properly developed, and once approved, properly and efficiently distributed through a secure supply chain,” HSI’s Intellectual Property Rights Center Director Steve Francis said in a statement. “From production to distribution, these vaccines will require a great level of care and technology along the way in order to ensure they will be effective when they reach the patient. The public should not accept anything from an unapproved source, as an unapproved source can never guarantee that the vaccine is legitimate or that it has been properly stored and transported.”
The government is also monitoring online retailers and other websites that may attempt to sell vaccines and treatments. The HSI investigated more than 70,000 websites as part of its eight-month crackdown on counterfeit personal protective equipment and coronavirus tests.
More than 12 million people in the U.S. have tested positive for the coronavirus, and 258,000 have died as a result.
