ST PAUL, Minn. — The Office of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison issued a statement Thursday condemning the sale and use of fake CDC COVID-19 vaccination cards.
The attorney general said the fraudulent practice not only threatens the health of community members in fighting COVID-19, but also slows visible progress against the virus.
“Every Minnesotan has a responsibility to stop the spread of COVID-19, and almost all Minnesotans have been doing their part," Ellison said. "Vaccines are helping us make great progress — if people continue to observe all laws and precautions, and if they get vaccinated, which is an act of care not only for themselves but for their communities. People are free not to be vaccinated if they wish, but they should not be free to fake their vaccination status."
Ellison joins 45 other state attorneys general in condemning the practice, who urged the chief executive officers of Twitter, eBay and Shopify to do their part in helping to monitor and remove advertising content that promotes the use of fake cards, while maintaining records on those that seek to sell them.
“Minnesotans are people who care for each other. People who fake their vaccination status disrespect the vast majority of Minnesotans who have made sacrifices to care for each other during the pandemic — especially those families that have paid the ultimate sacrifice with the loss of a loved one. We must all do everything we can to put an immediate halt to this practice. That includes Twitter, eBay, Shopify, and any online platform that is allowing it to continue,” Ellison said.
The attorney general's office states that legitimate vaccination confirmation cards are handed out by vaccine providers upon administering the shot.
"People who buy fake cards can have their own information added to the card or add it in themselves, so it appears they have been vaccinated when they have not," the AG's office said in a statement.
The state recommends utilizing its Vaccine Connector tool to help find a location to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
