Please correct any misstatements below. Thank you!
My understanding (after reading various sites, including hhs.gov and cdc.gov) is HIPAA applies to healthcare professionals and staff.
I am not a healthcare professional; therefore, I cannot violate HIPAA.
I could go to a doctor's office and ask to see YOUR private health information, and even if the doctor hands over the files to me, the doctor would prosecuted for HIPAA violations, not me.
Even if I break into a doctor's office and steal all the private medical information in the files, I will be prosecuted for several things, none of which are HIPAA-related.
(A doctor told someone I know that it's a HIPAA violation for someone to ask if you've been vaccinated. I said that was 100% wrong. Hence this post.)