A doctor from Tennessee in the USA has surrendered his medical licence under an agreement with the state's Department of Health, after issuing a host of COVID-19 vaccine waivers to patients he had never met - including a dog.
The 76-year-old allegedly provided the documents in Aug and Sep 2021 - a period of significant vaccine hesitancy - while working for a company called MedChoice which sold them online for US$139, authorities said.
The MedChoice website promised "handwritten medical waivers personally reviewed and signed by a licensed physician" with clients able to choose from a drop-down list of preset justifications such as "I am very anxious about getting the vaccine" and "I believe I have an autoimmune disease".
The Health Department confirmed the waivers were issued to people in at least three states, with the scheme uncovered by a Nashville NewsChannel 5 investigation which used the online platform to purchase a waiver for a dog owned by one of its reporters who said the black Labrador had "an irrational fear of needles".
MedChoice mailed the dog documentation including a laminated waiver card saying the pooch was "certified medically exempt from the COVID vaccination".
Tennessee business records confirm that MedChoice is no longer in operation, according to a KFF Health News report.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 19 Jun 23
To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 19 Jun 23
