A celebrity doctor has come under fire after giving his shoe designer husband the COVID-19 vaccine even though he wasn’t eligible to receive it.
Jake Deutsch, 47, the founder of Cure Urgent Care clinics in New York City, gave himself and partner Brian Atwood the second dose of the Moderna vaccine last week at their luxury apartment in Hudson Yards, social media posts published by the NY Post show.
Atwood, whose luxury footwear has been worn by the likes of Laga Gaga and Zendaya, posted a video to Instagram last week, writing: ‘Getting my second dose of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine!!!’
‘FYI: I am lucky they have additional leftover doses at the end of the day!!!’ Atwood, 53, continued in his post.
In New York State, only essential workers such as police and teachers, are currently eligible to receive the vaccine, in addition to residents over 65. Those with underlying health conditions will be eligible to get a shot from Monday.
Furthermore, a post on the website for Deutsch’s Cure Urgent Care clinics states: ‘We are not currently offering the COVID vaccine to the general public.’
That message was displayed on the web page the same week that Deutsche administered the shot to Atwood, according to the Post.
Jake Deutsch (left), 47, the founder off Cure Urgent Care clinics in New York City, gave himself and partner Brian Atwood (shown together right) the second dose of the Moderna vaccine last week at their luxury apartment in Hudson Yards
The video of Deutsch administering the shots has since been deleted from Instagram.
It’s currently unclear under what circumstances Atwood received the first dose of the Moderna Jab.
A spokesperson for the New York Department of Health told the outlet that urgent-care facilities across the state received vaccines ‘in prior weeks’, but only for health care workers.
The department added that they will be investigating Deutsch, insisting: ‘We take all reports of noncompliance with the guidelines seriously and will investigate this complaint and take appropriate action if warranted.’
In December, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that any individual who knowingly vaccinates individuals outside of ‘prioritization protocols’ could face losing their medical licence and be hit with fines up to $1 million.
Across social media, Deutsch – who has frequently appeared on CNN and on Dr. Oz as an expert panelist – has been blasted as being ‘unprofessional’.
‘Does anyone else especially a health care professional find this video unprofessional!’ one critic tweeted. ‘You have been really inspirational, but not today.’
A spokesperson for the New York Department of Health said that they will be investigating Deutsch
The video of Deutsch administering the shots to himself and Atwood (together above) has since been deleted from Instagram
In the month-long waiting period between the couple getting their first and second doses, they went on a skiing holiday in Wyoming
In the weeks between the couple getting their first and second doses, they went on a skiing holiday in Wyoming, posts on social media show.
A source close to the couple told the Post: ‘They had no business going there in between vaccines,’ adding that the trip was in aide of a friend’s birthday.
‘Why is he giving his husband the vaccine when people are dying and lining up for it?’
Neither Deutsch nor Atwood have yet addressed the controversy publicly.
However, this is not the first time Deutsch has landed himself in hot water over his coronavirus practises.
In April last year, just weeks into the pandemic, Deutsch was scolded for giving social media influencer Arielle Charnas a COVID-19 test at a time when such kits were in drastically short supply.
The controversy unfolded after Charnas, who boasts an audience of more than 1.3 million, posted a video of Deutsch giving her the test in a drive-in site outside his Upper West Side clinic, along with her husband.
Across social media, Deutsch – who has frequently appeared on CNN and on Dr. Oz as an expert panelist – has been blasted as being ‘unprofessional’.
Deutsch’s Cure Urgent Care facility, located on the Upper West Side is seen in the above image
Charnas and Deutsch faced swift backlash from people who said, among other things, that she was privileged and had received preferential treatment at a time when many sick people, including healthcare workers, were unable to get diagnoses.
Charnas – who owns a property in the same luxury Miami complex as Ivanka Trump – would come under fire again just days later, after she tested positive for the virus and then retreated to the Hamptons with her family to quarantine, rather than staying home.
In a statement, she would later claim she and her family left the Big Apple and traveled to the Hamptons by car, avoiding contact with anyone else, and followed doctors recommendations ‘to a tee’.
‘Once we properly monitored our symptoms and determined that a) we had no fever for at least 72 hours, b) all symptoms had improved and c) at least seven days had passed since our symptoms first appeared, we decided to leave the city, after several consultations with doctors who granted us permission,’ she said at the time.
‘We all make mistakes, including me, especially when a crisis such as this is developing so quickly.
‘My family and I are truly sorry to those we have offended for not appearing to be taking this crisis gravely seriously, and we are committed to making informed, responsible decisions moving forward,’ she continued.
In April last year, just weeks into the pandemic, Deutsch was scolded for giving social media influencer Arielle Charnas (above) a COVID-19 test at a time when such kits were in drastically short supply
Charnas owns a property in the same luxury Miami complex as Ivanka Trump (shown above)
Deutsch and Atwood, meanwhile, both reportedly tested positive for COVID last March, just days after celebrating Deutsch’s 47th birthday, on the eve of a state-wide lockdown.
‘I cannot express how scary it was to be so sick and being a patient in the Mt. Sinai ER,’ the doctor wrote on Instagram on March 26. ‘Pray pray pray for humanity and a cure.’
‘Brian had minor symptoms,’ he continued. ‘I however was really ill and developed pneumonia. … This illness is scary since there is no predicting the course and who will suffer severe disease.’