HCMC woman detained for running vaccination ring charging $175 a shot

Le Thi Kim Dung, 32, has been put under investigation for her alleged "abuse of influence over an office holder for personal gain," Ho Chi Minh City police said.

Previously, Facebook account Kim Zunf promoted the availability of Covid-19 vaccinations. Police subsequently tracked Dung down as the owner, placing her under surveillance.

Dung was later seen taking two people to a kindergarten in District 11 to be inoculated against Covid-19.

She said she used her "personal connections" to source Covid-19 vaccines for people from non-prioritized groups in District 11. So far, she has provided the service to 21 people, charging each VND2-4 million. She earned over VND60 million in total.

An investigation is ongoing.

The government has announced that Covid-19 vaccinations are free for every citizen. Prioritized groups include frontline health workers, police officers and journalists.

Vietnam has inoculated over 17 million people with at least one Covid-19 vaccine shot. Over 1.7 million people have been fully vaccinated.

HCMC, epicenter of Vietnam's fourth coronavirus wave since late April, has managed to vaccinate 5.3 million people with at least one Covid-19 vaccine jab. Around 172,000 have been fully immunized.

The country aims to vaccinate 70 percent of its 96 million population by next year.