Remember when your friend said “bro, you can literally sell or buy anything on Carousell”? Well, he wasn’t kidding.
Whatever you need, or don’t need, want, or don’t mind having, Carousell will very likely have at least 20 listings selling it.
I’m talking old burgers, bubble tea, oximeters, and once even Changi Airport, though that was quickly taken down. (I guess they found a buyer immediately).
So, it was therefore unsurprising when Carousellers decided to tap into the COVID-19 vaccine market.
Not one is selling vaccines, of course, that would be nuts. But many are desperate enough to pay money for vaccination appointment slots.
People Going on Carousell to Buy Sinovac Appointment Slots for Up to $200 a Jab
Multiple Carousell users have created listings offering to buy vaccination slots for a Sinovac shot.
Checks by The Straits Times showed that there were at least four bidders offering amounts of between $50 and $80.
Recent checks show that all these listings are no longer available, meaning they were either deleted or the bidders were taken up on their offer.
There was one new listing, however, where one particularly desperate bidder offered to pay $200 for a vaccination appointment slot.
“Paying $200 cash for a Sinovac slot quick dm me now,” the buyer wrote.
However, this listing was also taken down soon after it was put up.
It remains unclear whether any transactions went through, and if they did, whether such deals are legal.
New Stock of Sinovac to Arrive in 4 to 6 Weeks
It’s impossible to get a slot at the moment for the Sinovac shot because the current 200,000 doses that are here have already been allocated, according to the Ministry of Health (MOH).
170,000 of these vaccines had been set aside for the 31 private healthcare institutions approved to give the shot.
The remaining 30,000 have been reserved for Singaporeans, permanent residents, and long-term pass holders who have had allergic reactions to the mRNA vaccines, and for other purposes, it said.
But don’t fret, as the ministry said that fresh supplies of Sinovac’s vaccine are expected to arrive in the next four to six weeks.
Unlike the two mRNA vaccines, Sinovac’s vaccine uses a more traditional inactivated vaccine, which works by using killed viral particles to expose the body’s immune system to the virus without triggering a serious disease response.
This is why some of those who are allergic to the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines have opted for the Sinovac shot, as it may not trigger the same reaction.
Sinovac’s vaccine is not included in Singapore’s national vaccination programme, however, meaning recipients will not be covered under the Vaccine Injury Financial Assistance Programme, which provides one-time financial assistance to those who experience serious side effects related to the vaccine.
To know more about mRNA vaccines, watch this video to the end:
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Featured Image: Carousell