As Moscow gets tougher on Covid, some Russians buy fake proof of shots

Published
0

A black market in fake vaccination certificates is thriving in Russia after Moscow city authorities ordered all public-facing workers to be vaccinated against Covid-19.

Adverts for illegal false certificates are easily found on the Telegram messenger app, targeting unvaccinated Russians who want to avoid shots but keep their jobs. Prices are rising fast and demand appears to be growing.

Moscow and several Russian regions have resorted to tough measures to encourage people to get vaccinated because of a new rise in coronavirus infections blamed by the Kremlin on the more infectious Delta variant.

A healthcare worker prepares a dose of Sputnik V vaccine at a vaccination centre in Depo food mall in Moscow, Russia, June 17. — Reuters
A healthcare worker prepares a dose of Sputnik V vaccine at a vaccination centre in Depo food mall in Moscow, Russia, June 17. — Reuters

Read the full Reuters story here.

Opinion

Editorial

Talks, at last
Updated 03 Oct, 2026

Talks, at last

The government’s constant threats to suspend KP’s elected dispensation over a political protest have escalated hostilities considerably. In that context, both sides did well to start talking.
IWT’s future
Updated 03 Oct, 2026

IWT’s future

TOGETHER with the Kashmir dispute, India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty has become the biggest...
Pained minds
03 Oct, 2026

Pained minds

IN Pakistan, mental healthcare is wedged between two extremes — a luxury or a stigma. Estimates cited by the...
Risks ahead
Updated 02 Oct, 2026

Risks ahead

To think that the government would rather push out an elected government than grant a single prisoner some facilities does not square up rationally.
Exit from Iraq
02 Oct, 2026

Exit from Iraq

AMERICAN and British troops have once again shipped out of Iraq. On Wednesday, the foreign forces left the Arab...
Lahore’s ozone warning
02 Oct, 2026

Lahore’s ozone warning

LAHORE has received another warning that its air pollution crisis cannot be treated as a problem that begins with...