An Italian was reported to police after using a fake silicone arm to try to trick a nurse into vaccinating against Covid-19, thereby obtaining an immunization certificate without taking the actual dose.
Ansa news agency said the man, who was unidentified and is in his 50s, works in healthcare and had been suspended from work for refusing to be vaccinated against Covid.
Vaccination against the disease is mandatory for all healthcare professionals in Italy.
The case occurred in the city of Biella, in the north of the country and was revealed by regional governor Alberto Cirio, adding that the silicone in the prosthesis of the arm was “very similar” to real skin.
“(However) the color and the touch raised the distrust of the health professional, who asked him to show his entire arm,” said Cirio.
“The incident would be almost ridiculous were it not for the fact that we are talking about an extremely serious act,” Cirio said in a Facebook post.
The Italian government was the first to make the immunization of health professionals compulsory, a decision followed by those in France, Hungary and Greece. It also approved the obligation to provide proof of vaccination for entry into various public places, such as other countries.
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