A Berkeley spa is being accused of using the monkeypox vaccine to boost its business.
Hundreds of people on Wednesday lined the block outside the Steamworks bath house in hopes of getting a monkeypox vaccination.
"A lot of people came out several hours early to make sure they get their spot in line," Austin Lavy said.
Lavy said the spa created two lines, one for those who wanted the vaccine and another for people who wanted the vaccine and were willing to pay $35 for a day pass to get priority.
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Lavy said he waited in line for more than two-and-a-half hours only to watch others who arrived later get in ahead of him.
"Everyone needs the vaccine," Lavy said. "They put in their time, and other people with money, 30 bucks, 40 bucks to get in, can jump the line. It feels a little unfair on principal."
Several people in line said they were told the same thing after the business advertised the vaccine availability on a first-come, first-served basis.
"They advertise first-come, first-served, but yet if you're willing to pay to play, you can jump the line," said Robert, one of the people who waited for the vaccine. "It's just inequities all around."
Robert claims his friend, who agreed to buy a day pass, got the vaccine before he could even get through the door.
"He is first in line for the vaccine after paying even though he showed up almost two hours after everyone else," Robert said.
Steamworks management denied the claims, saying they partnered with the city and county health departments to dole out 500 vaccines while staying open for business.
"There's a line to check into the club and there's a line for vaccinations," Steamworks general manager Zose Newell said.
Newell said a second line was created to allow members to go inside to use the bath house but admitted vaccinations were also given to those members.
"It's pandemonium," Newell said. "It’s a long line. We are still hammering out all the details but by no means do you have a VIP membership where you get in and then you get priority over everyone else."
Steamworks said it will be reevaluating its vaccination process going forward.
"I just want it to be fair, that's all," Lavy said.
Matthai Chakko, spokesman for the city of Berkley, said, "That is something that raised a concern both for us and for the CEO of Steamworks and that is something that needs to be managed in a much more effective way going forward ... Our main goal is to get vaccination to a higher risk setting. Today, we have 500 vaccinations at a higher risk setting. This was a result of city, county and state working together. We get a limited number of vaccines, and this is just one phase of that."
He added that Steamworks told the city that they tried to manage the line by first going with non-members and creating a ticketing system so they could get access to the vaccine.
“Regardless of what is happening, Steamworks is going to have to work through,” said Chakko. “We were aware of it, and we were concerned, and we reached out to them, and they are on the same page with us that access to vaccine is available regardless membership ... that is not something we want, no one wants to wants a financial barrier to vaccines."
