Get this: a doctor in Tennessee has lost his medical license for selling fake COVID-19 vaccination waivers to anyone who would pay—including a black Labrador retriever named Charlie! The Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners found that Robert Coble had violated state statutes on “unprofessional, dishonorable, or unethical conduct” and “making false statements or representations, being guilty of fraud or deceit … in the practice of medicine.” Coble voluntarily surrendered his license and agreed to pay a $1,000 fine and the costs of the board’s investigation. NewsChannel 5 reported that Coble sold the waivers through a company called MedChoice LLC, offering “handwritten medical waivers personally reviewed and signed by a licensed physician.” All an applicant had to do was pay Coble around $139 and check off a reason for needing the waiver from a list that included “I have an irrational fear of needles” and “I am very anxious about getting the vaccine.” A reporter for NewsChannel 5 even bought one for her dog, Charlie, who got a personalized waiver on what looked like a medical prescription form with a handwritten note that said “Charlie should not receive any COVID vaccine.” Coble reportedly even tried to intervene when a customer’s HR department or school’s student health department rejected his waiver, calling and trying to convince them to reverse the rejection. It’s unclear how often this was successful, but the board did report that Coble sold the waivers through MedChoice between August and September 2021 to people in Tennessee and other states where he was not licensed, including Maine and Washington.
A shocking incident has recently unfolded in which a Chinese doctor lost his license due to selling fake COVID-19 vaccination waivers to a dog, according to the Chinese Medical Association.
Dr. Qiao desperately wanted to make his beloved pet dog “Ka Ka” happy, so he decided to purchase a COVID-19 vaccination waiver for him. Unfortunately, Ka Ka wasn’t eligible for this document as it only applies to human beings, not animals.
When his request was refused, Dr. Qiao decided to take matters into his own hands. He forged a fake vaccination waiver and sold it to Ka Ka’s owner for nearly USD $500. Little did Dr. Qiao know, he would eventually get caught.
The China Medical Association discovered the fake document and launched an investigation. Despite Dr. Qiao’s pleas of innocence, he was found guilty and his medical license was revoked as a result. The association further prohibited him from practicing medicine again.
As the news spread, the incident has raised concerns that other medical professionals may also be compromising patient safety by committing similar actions. If this is true, the repercussions could be much more serious.
In light of the incident, the Chinese Medical Association has stated that it will now require all its members to adhere to strict ethical codes and that any who breach them can be subject to discipline.
Overall, this case should serve as a warning to all medical practitioners to ensure they always do the right thing when treating their patients. Failing to do so could lead to not only a loss of license, but also criminal prosecution.
