Authorities in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro are currently investigating how a local man was able to receive at least five doses of three different Covid-19 vaccines in just 10 days.
According to official records, the unnamed man started getting Covid-19 vaccines in May, and continued getting new jabs into June, until his vaccination marathon was finally discovered by staff at a vaccination station earlier this month while attempting to get yet another Covid shot. Records obtained by Brazilian media show that the man got his first Pfizer shot on May 12, the second dose of AstraZeneca on June 5, the second dose of Coronavac on June 17, another second dose of Pfizer, on July 9th, and the “first dose” of Coronavac on 21 July. It’s not clear what his sixth dose was supposed to be.
At first, authorities believed the man’s confusing Covid-19 vaccination records was just a glitch of the online platform, but Globo reported that an initial investigation by Rio’s Municipal Health Department showed that this was not some sort of registration error.
To make matters worse, the records of the “first” or “second” dose only indicate the information the man provided to the attendant when he arrived at the vaccination station, so there is no way to know if he had indeed gotten the first jab, before getting the second.
“The case is being investigated to identify whether it was a failure to register the man’s previous doses in the system, or some other ‘irregularity,’” Rio’s Municipal Health Department said in a statement.
This news comes at a time when Brazil is dealing with a “critical” shortage of vaccines, with millions of people waiting to get their first dose. Cases of people who reportedly got their third dose have been reported by Brazilian media, but this is the first time someone got a whopping five doses from three different types of vaccine.
And just in case you’re wondering, the anonymous man is reportedly in good health. But who knows, maybe that sixth dose he was caught trying to get would have finally done him in…
