there was  a  crowdsourced vaccine,   
  that could be created regionally by   
    most   pharmaceutical  companies    
  without much  effort,  and  it  was   
    estimated   that  it  had  saved    
      tens      of      millions.       
                                        
 but it was not officially recognized  by 
 the world  health  organization, and  as 
 such  did  not give what  the sanctioned 
 (and   unobtainable)   ones   did:   the 
 subskin  chip that  would let you  enter 
       (or      leave)     cities.      
                                        
  and that's why, eventually, we would  
   create  our  own chips. they  were   
  larger than the official ones, and a  
    little   unstable,   and  needed    
    maintenance.   but  they  worked!   
  or, they would  work together with a  
  little something to  make the guard   
     look     the    other     way.     
                                      
                                      
                                          
    but the scanner showed green, so...