With a shortage of flu vaccines in the United States, one eBay seller is auctioning coupons to receive a flu shot at a clinic in Canada. The seller is offering 1,000 coupons for private flu shots. The coupons cost $24.99 and the item listing says the coupon will reserve for the buyer a flu vaccine dose at a medical clinic in Montreal, Canada on November 25, 2004. Buyers must pay the clinic an additional $75 for the visit and examination, the description explains.

The New York-based seller is selling the flu shot coupons under the User ID 2004flushots, which was formerly known as designersv2. According to the seller's Web site, he also sells under another name and points to http://www.auctionmaticusa.com, an eBay Powerseller and Trading Assistant.

Transportation to the Canadian clinic is not included, but is available from New York City for an extra charge.

The name and address of the clinic was not revealed in the auction description. According to an October 27th Boston Globe article (http://digbig.com/4cddm), going to Canada for flu shots is legal.

A cottage industry has sprung up on eBay selling things to boost the immune system in case you can't get a flu shot this year.

Other flu shot-related items included a "New Flawless, High Quality Italian Stainless Steel Enamel FLU SHOT HYPO NEEDLE Italian Charm" and the domain "FluImmunization.com."

http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=2004flushots