By Jeri Chadwell, This Is Reno
CARSON CITY–Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford joined the state’s COVID-19 task force members for their Monday update to discuss COVID-19 vaccination scams.
Ford warned that making fake vaccine cards is unlawful. He said scammers selling fake vaccine cards have copied the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention logo and used it to make the cards look official. Anyone caught creating or selling fake vaccine cards will be prosecuted, he said.
Ford also said Nevadans should consider it a red flag if they’re asked by the person providing their vaccine to purchase their vaccination card and warned that this could even possibly be a sign that they’re receiving a fake vaccine.
“Your first line of defense against scams is awareness,” he said.
Ford said his office does not have an estimate of the number of Nevadans who have a fake vaccine card or confirmation of any number of Nevadans being given fake vaccines.
He also said he “cringes” every time he sees a person post photos of their vaccination card on social media. This trend has been popular despite state officials warning against it.
The vaccine cards contain personal information that can compromise a person’s security. Ford said if a person has already posted photos of their vaccine card, they should still delete them.
COVID-19 cases and vaccination efforts
There have been nearly 311,000 cases of COVID-19 in Nevada. The state’s 14-day moving average of cases is 277.
There have been more than 3.1 million tests performed in the state, and the 14-day moving test positivity rate stands at 5.9%. That’s up from March.
Currently 404 people are hospitalized with suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Vaccination efforts, however, are continuing to show progress. More than 1.6 million doses of vaccine have been administered in Nevada. As of Sunday, 42% of Nevadans 16 and older had received a first dose of vaccine and 28% were fully vaccinated.
Concerns have been raised about more than 21,000 people who don’t reside in Nevada receiving a vaccine in the state. Caleb Cage, Nevada’s COVID-19 response coordinator, explained that these people are not vaccine tourists. Largely, he said, they’re essential or migrant workers whose permanent addresses are not in Nevada.
Others are out-of-state students attending Nevada institutions and those who’ve just moved to the state.
People are encouraged to visit nvcovidfighter.org for more information about scheduling a vaccine.
