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Health Canada has issued a warning regarding the sale of fraudulent COVID-19 vaccines over the internet. The warning highlights that these vaccines are dangerous because they are not proven to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 and may contain other harmful substances as they are not regulated by Health Canada.
Health Canada has suggested the following measures to maintain public safety:
- Do not buy or use COVID-19 vaccines sold on the internet or from unauthorized sources as they are counterfeit, may pose risks to health, and are ineffective at protecting an individual from the COVID-19 virus.
- The only way to access safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines is through clinics organized or endorsed by your local public health authority, in collaboration with Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial governments.
- Consult a healthcare professional if you have any concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine.
- Report any information on the sale or advertising of potential counterfeit COVID-19 vaccines to Health Canada
- Visit reliable and trusted sources of information, like the Government of Canada’s websites Canada.ca/vaccines and Canada.ca/coronavirus, and your local public health authority’s website.
- Report any health product adverse events to Health Canada
More information on this advisory can be found here on the Healthy Canadians’ Recalls and Safety Alerts page.
In addition to fraudulent vaccinations, Public Safety Canada has noticed an increase in various forms of online scams in relation to COVID-19 and the various forms of government assistance available as a result. For more information on benefit and employment scams please visit the Public Safety Canada website COVID-19: Frauds and Scams.