Vaccine mandates and other restrictions to contain the pandemic has elicited several strange behaviors among people who oppose vaccines. One such incident occurred in Italy, where a nurse was allegedly giving anti-vaxxers fake COVID shots so that they can get their vaccine certifications and cards. This is likely caused since lawmakers have started putting strict restrictions on restaurants and businesses to not allow people without their vaccination cards to avail of their service.
According to the state police in Italy, the nurse working at the vaccination center in Palmero is facing charges of forgery and embezzlement after giving people those fake COVID shots. Apparently, investigators involved in the case used a hidden camera placed around the nurse’s place of work where she was appointed. She is clearly seen to be emptying a COVID-19 booster shot into a piece of gauze before pretending to inject it into a person’s arm, in footage retrieved from the camera.
The report also includes that the nurse also lied about her own vaccination status and likely fake COVID shots. She was reportedly working with another nurse who was arrested last December for similar charges. The nurse arrested last December is accused of giving 11 people fake COVID-19 vaccine certificates. This also includes the leader of a prominent anti-vaccine movement in the region.
As of Jan. 10, Italy imposed several new restrictions on people who want to continue living their social life outdoors. Restaurants, gyms, swimming pools, theaters, cinemas, sports events, and public transport are all part of the top locations the lawmakers have restricted people, who are not fully vaccinated.
“Palermo arrested a nurse employed in the infectious disease department, author of fictitious vaccinations against # Covid_19
It is being investigated for false ideology and embezzlement. She too would have benefited from a fake vaccination related to the booster dose # 15 January,” translated the tweet from the State police. Since the Omicron variant has hit Europe, COVID cases have risen exponentially, giving way to a new wave of the pandemic, one the unvaccinated are not prepared to face. The longer the pandemic continues, the more mutations that virus is expected and can possibly develop, making it more dangerous to not be vaccinated against it. Stories and incidents such as the fake COVID shots should warn people about what to stay away from.
