Many have said that you can't put a price on all the good the COVID-19 vaccine does — but that hasn't stopped one place from trying.
NBC New York exclusively learned that at least one pharmacy in Westchester County is charging $20 for a shot. The county and state have now launched an investigation, saying the scheme involves at least one local pharmacy, and does not involve a government-run vaccine site.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer had a blunt message after he learned some people were charged for the shot.
"No one should ever pay for a vaccination," he said. "When we see that that's happening or someone is asking you for money ... that's illegal and we want to stop it. And if it's systemic, we want to root it out."
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Latimer is encouraging anyone who may have paid to get a vaccine to contact county officials, and said the county will work to make sure victims are reimbursed. With all New York residents age 16 and older now eligible, he wants to make sure no more residents are told to hand over cash to get the vaccine.
"If you have gotten a vaccine and you paid to get it, then we want to know where did you get that vaccine, when did you go. Give us the date, time ... and the location and we will have an investigator investigate that," Latimer said. "Now we are trying to get it into as many arms as we can, that's an urgent mission, and then to find that somebody out there is trying to manipulate that mission to make a buck, because people are vulnerable. That's not acceptable."
