At a time when COVID-19 vaccines are in short supply around the world, special vaccination services for the rich have been born on demand. In Britain, one of Europe's worst-hit countries, some wealthy people have been able to travel to the UAE to get vaccinated while on holiday.
Symbol of the DUBAI Financial District COVID-19 Vaccination Centre, image source network
<b>Britain's Regal Club launches 'luxury' travel vaccination service</b>
According to the Guardian on February 3, a rich club in the United Kingdom called knightsbridge Circle is providing two injections of Chinese national medicine vaccines in the United Arab Emirates for those who buy its vaccination program.
Founded in 2012, the club claims to be able to offer "exceptional personal service" to its clients, including lunch with the pope, singing lessons with renowned American female singer Alicia Keys, and buying designer bags that normally take two years to buy.
Just last month, the club launched two "luxury" experiences to travel to the UAE to vaccinate. A January 23 New York Times report details this:
The first is for members, those who have paid an entry fee of £25,000, to purchase a three-week UAE vaccination travel package from the Netzbridge Federation Club. At that time, they will be able to stay in the beautiful villa booked by the club, while being vaccinated and enjoying a variety of fun activities while waiting for the second dose of vaccine.
Another service targets non-members, the club announced on January 22 that they would start selling vaccine services to non-members for £10,000 per person, as long as they are 65 or over, or can prove that they have a potential health condition. However, they have to pay for their own airfare and three weeks of accommodation in the UAE.
The club's founder, Stuart McNeill, told The New York Times that since the club publicly offered vaccine tourism services, they have received more than 2,000 membership applications, as well as thousands of phone and email inquiries. In addition, several private jet companies have also contacted his club, hoping to work with the club to transport its customers.
Netsbridge Consortium founder Stuart McNeill, Source Network
<b>"What they vaccinated in the UAE is a Chinese national medicine vaccine."</b>
According to the Daily Telegraph on January 12, about 40% of the members of the Netzbridge Federation club are British, many of whom hold multiple passports and have multiple properties around the world. According to McNeil, the vaccination program is already underway, with their UK and foreign members flying to the vaccination "holiday", many of whom are still in private jets.
McNeil also said that they have been vaccinateing members in the UAE for the past few weeks. Because they use Pfizer and Sinopharm vaccines, members need to take the second injection 21 days apart after receiving the first injection.
However, the Guardian pointed out that when the newspaper verified with Pfizer, Pfizer said that it only provided vaccines to the UAE government and would not sell vaccines to any private company in the UAE or other countries. Pfizer also said it had submitted the club's claims to its global security team for investigation.
In response, the Netzbridge Federation Club then clarified that the Pfizer vaccine will only be available to their UAE members, and for non-UAE members, they will provide the COVID-19 vaccine produced by Sinopharm.
The club explained that they have reached a partnership with the UAE government to allow it to obtain the National Medicine vaccine. Through this project, the UAE will also be able to attract tourists and thus "bring tourism into the region". Separately, the club said its member vaccine programme and the £10,000 non-member vaccine programme had been fully booked in the past few weeks and no further applications were accepted.
It is worth mentioning that the UAE is not the first country to hope to boost domestic tourism with vaccines. The Russian tourism sector is also planning to launch COVID-19 vaccination trips to attract foreign tourists.
With vaccines still in short supply in many countries, cross-border vaccination has become an urgent need for those who are temporarily unable to be vaccinated in their home countries. As early as last December, after the UK began mass vaccination of people with COVID-19, some wealthy Indians asked travel agents to travel to the UK for vaccination.
In addition to transnationality, interstate vaccination has also emerged in the United States. According to the Guardian reported on January 31, due to the different vaccination regulations in various states in the United States and the uneven distribution of vaccines, many people have begun to vaccinate across states.
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