TAIPEI - A group of people posing as “train station medical staff” recently had train passengers in the Guangzhou Train Station in China take “SARS vaccination shots” that cost 150 yuan each [approximately 20 dollars]. The World Health Organization has not yet been able to develop a vaccine to prevent Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, and no such vaccine is known to exist. The Guangzhou disease prevention unit said that there will be severe repercussions for anyone who commits this type of crime.

The passengers were told by two people calling themselves “Guangzhou Train Station Medical Staff” that they must take SARS vaccine and swallow a preventive drug. The two staff members claimed they were following their supervisor’s orders. Many people accepted the offer and paid the 150 yuan fee.

A train station staff member said it is widely known that there has not yet been any vaccine developed which can successfully prevent SARS, hence it is impossible that the station would send any medical staff to offer passengers shots. This staff member said that those people must be imposters using the train station’s name to make money.

The Emergency Office of the Guangdong SARS Prevention Center said that if any unit or individual was found using the excuse of SARS prevention to cheat and make profits, they would face serious repercussions.

So far, most of those passengers who were injected with the “vaccine” have only felt slight pain in the place they were given the injection and no one has had adverse reactions. The local doctors said the offenders’ main purpose was to make money and not to intentionally hurt people. The shots were likely harmless types of medicine such as saline.