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When it was first announced that viable COVID-19 vaccines were showing positive results, there was a shared sense of overwhelming relief as we contemplated regaining some sense of normalcy in the months to come, and a possible end to the virus.

It was never going to be that simple.

As the first doses of different vaccines are rolled out in various parts of the world, systems have had to be put in place to determine who gets the jab, and when.

Wealthier countries have been able to innoculate more people, with massive stores of vaccines, while poorer countries, like South Africa, are struggling to get enough doses to kick start herd immunity.

From the start of the pandemic, the super-rich have experienced everything from lockdowns to physical distancing differently from the rest of the world, with access to private jets, yachts, massive estates and even private bunkers.

Healthcare also isn’t as much of an issue when you can hire a private nurse.

The vaccine is getting the same treatment, with companies like Knightsbridge Circle, a £25 000-a-year private members club, offering ‘vaccine vacations’ for those who can afford them.

The trip, per Forbes, includes a first-class or private jet flight to a destination where you will receive a private vaccination, before retreating to luxury accommodation to await your second dose.

Trips can cost around $55,000 (£40,000). Currently, the options on offer are either Dubai, which now has private appointments for the Pfizer jab, or the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine in India, which is being sold at 1,000 rupees (£10) on the private market.

Stuart McNeill, the founder of Knightsbridge Circle, says that he’s “delighted” that they’re offering the first private vaccine service to the world, and by the world, he means those with more money than Midas.

“However, remaining ethical is paramount. It’s crucial to note that each person who resides in the United Arab Emirates has already been offered the vaccine, and our members below the age of 65 are not able to receive the vaccine through us.”

For the past two weeks, he says that they have been offering the vaccine to clients who are based in or are currently working in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with a focus on older more at-risk members of Knightsbridge.

Their clients are based all over the globe.

“The cost of the vaccine is included in the annual membership membership fee of £25,000, which also allows complimentary access to a 24-hour medical concierge.”

Dubai was one of the first destinations to open up for tourism and has marketed itself as an ideal pandemic vacation spot.

Now things are going south with tourism season in full swing, reports the Associated Press, bringing with it rapidly rising infection numbers.

The rise in daily case counts, which have almost tripled in the past month, has caused Britain to shut down its travel corridor with Dubai.

“Dubai’s economy is a house of cards,” said Matthew Page, a nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “Its competitive advantage is being a place where rules don’t apply.”

Still, people are flocking in, attending parties, maskless with little regard for the virus.

“People have had enough of this pandemic already,” said Iris Sabellano from Dubai’s Al Arabi Travel Agency, adding that many of her clients have been forced to quarantine after testing positive for the virus on arrival or before departure. Travelers coming from a select list of countries don’t need to get tests before their trips but all must at Dubai’s airport.

“With vaccines coming out, they feel it’s not the end of the world, they’re not going to die,” she said.

If they do die, Emirates offers to pay $1 800 to help cover funeral costs.

In an attempt to bring the numbers down, the UAE is offering the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine to everyone, even though “the shot’s efficacy lacks data and details”.

Demand outweighs the supply of the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine in Dubai where thousands of high-risk residents are still on the waiting list.

This seems at odds with the “ethical” ‘vaccination vacation’ packages on offer.

With the country shattering its infection record for seven consecutive days, Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, declared that widespread vaccination, not movement restrictions, would “accelerate the full recovery of our country.”

That hasn’t worked anywhere else, and even if they manage to innoculate 70% of the population by the end of 2021, it could still take up to three years for the economy to bounce back.

[source:forbes&ap]