Society

What Happened: In late July Pakistan began requiring COVID-19 vaccination for individuals to work in offices, eat at restaurants, and travel. The pressure worked – over 14.2 million vaccine doses were administered in July, with the number more than doubling in August, as per government data. But it also had a troubling side effect: a booming black market for fake vaccine certificates.

Our Focus: One WhatsApp text, seen by The Diplomat’s Karachi-based correspondent Niha Dagia, advertised a fake vaccination certificate for Sinopharm at 6,500 Pakistani rupees while Sinovac and CanSino cost 6,000 rupees each, and Moderna was selling for 12,000 rupees. “At least 41 arrests have been made in the past two months” in related cases, a government official privy to the development told The Diplomat. “The Federal Investigation Agency is also tracking individuals who acquire fake certificates.”

What Comes Next: Pakistan’s health officials emphasized that the proportion of fakes is “very, very small,” and this issue is certainly not unique to Pakistan – countries around the world are struggling with fake vaccine cards. But it’s a particular concern in Pakistan, where anti-vaccine sentiment has always been high. Just witness Pakistan’s ongoing struggle to eradicate polio, when a safe, effective vaccine has been available for over 70 years. COVID-19 adds new pressure on Pakistan to address the long-standing issue of vaccine hesitancy.

INTERVIEW

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Northeast Asia

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South Asia

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Southeast Asia

From Friday, Thailand will cut its 14-day COVID-19 quarantine requirement for foreign visitors to just seven days, in a bid to revive its tourism industry, which contributes up to a fifth of the country’s GDP. Under the new rules, visitors will need to have a proof of vaccination for COVID-19 and return two negative tests during their quarantine. Coming after the successful introduction of the “Phuket sandbox” scheme in July, Thailand is eyeing a full return to normalcy in early 2022 – if COVID-19 doesn’t once again intervene.

Central Asia

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ECONOMY

Gapjil, a South Korean neologism that refers to an abuse of power – whether committed by a multinational tech giant or an individual.