Etsy retailers are selling vaccine-themed merchandise from Fauci-ouchie shirts to Moderna Alumni pins

T-shirts are emblazoned with slogans such as: ‘Vaccinated, but still not a hugger’

(Etsy)

With millions of people around the world already fully vaccinated against Covid-19, Etsy sellers are seeing a boom in sales of vaccine-themed merchandise.

As people look forward to returning to a world that resembles normal with the help of vaccines, retailers have been looking for a way to capitalise on the vaccine phase.

For online clothing retailer Revolve, that meant introducing a section of its website to Vaccine Ready outfits, a category curated to include shoulder-baring tops that don’t require people to roll their sleeves up for the vaccine.

On Etsy, the focus on vaccinations and protection from the virus has seen sellers introduce a range of new products, with a search for “vaccinated” pulling up more than 31,000 results.

The range of vaccination-themed products also varies, with some of the merchandise catering towards a more light-hearted crowd, while other products serve a valuable purpose.

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Shirts have been a big focal point of the vaccination merchandise, with Etsy retailers offering designs such as “Fully vaccinated - but still not a hugger” to “vaccinated AF”.

Other options include the specific vaccine received, with one shirt reading: “Moderna Alumni, est 2021,” while another features a play on words and Dr Anthony Fauci’s name, with the T-shirt emblazoned: “I got my Fauci-ouchie.”

Pins featuring some of the same slogans, or simply “vaccinated” are also a huge seller, according to Massachusetts-based seller Nate Duval, who told Vox that the most popular item in his Etsy shop right now is a blue-and-purple pin that reads: “Covid-19 Vaccinated”.

“The original concept was thinking of front-line workers, doctors, the elderly, etc,” he told the outlet. “But I quickly discovered that the appeal of this idea was far beyond just doctors.”

Another Etsy seller, Mark W Gray, told the outlet that a release of 500 of his vaccinated pins sold out within five days, and that he has since sold more than 1,500.

The outlet also notes that there are more practical vaccine-themed products available, such as vaccine card sleeves, which can hold the paper cards that are handed out when an individual becomes vaccinated.

(Etsy)

Masks emblazoned with “vaccinated” are also for sale, a reminder that individuals should continue to take safety precautions such as wearing a mask and maintaining a distance of six feet from others even after they are vaccinated, as noted by the CDC.

“After you’ve been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, you should keep taking precautions – like wearing a mask, staying six feet apart from others, and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces – in public places until we know more,” the health organisation states.

Some of the merchandise available on Etsy also leans toward the entertaining, with one button reading: “Finally got microchipped,” a nod to the conspiracy theory that suggests that the vaccine includes a microchip.

“Vaccinated. Thank you science,” another shirt reads.

In addition to vaccine-themed merchandise you can wear after you receive the injections, people, including celebrities, have also made a point to dress up for their actual vaccine appointments, with Dolly Parton and Amy Schumer showing off their vaccine outfits.