How far would you go for a drink? Probably not as far as this Singaporean guy, who wanted a night out at the pub so bad that he got quadruple COVID-19-jabbed.
According to an Open TV news segment that aired Sunday, the 30-year-old received two Moderna jabs in April and May in his home country Singapore. In June, he got another two BioNTech shots in Hong Kong, where he is working.
“[I told them it was my] first dose,” he told Open TV, referring to staff at the local vaccination center. Pausing, he added,“My first dose in Hong Kong!”
He went on: “If I go to bars to drink with my friends, it’s very troublesome because I have to explain my vaccination situation in Singapore. If I am vaccinated in Hong Kong and have the electronic vaccination record, I think it’s much more convenient.”
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The government condemned the man’s actions in a press release as a “selfish and irresponsible act,” adding that “it seriously wastes precious vaccine resources.” The man could also face prosecution for his actions.
David Hui, a Chinese University professor who advises the government on its pandemic response, said that taking additional jabs could lead to more risks of side effects such as fever and headache.
At the moment, staff at vaccination centers are not required to ask recipients if they were jabbed abroad.
As of data available Wednesday, just over 30% of Hong Kong’s population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
