"Italian in his 50s caught attempting fake vaccination using artificial skin, saying 'I don't want to get vaccinated'"

On the morning of the 4th, an elderly person is receiving the third booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine at Cheonggu Seongsim Hospital in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] In Italy, a man in his 50s attempting to avoid COVID-19 vaccination by using artificial skin was caught.

On the 3rd (local time), according to local media including the daily Corriere della Sera, an incident occurred at a vaccination center in Biella, a village near Turin in northern Italy, where a man in his 50s tried to falsely receive a vaccine while wearing artificial skin made of silicone.

The man underwent a simple identity check, then sat in the vaccination room chair and rolled up the sleeve of his shirt.

At first, the nurse did not notice anything unusual visually, as the color and shape closely resembled real skin.

However, after carefully observing the injection site and touching it with her hand, the nurse felt something was wrong and asked the man to take off his shirt.

Then, a silicone prosthetic was revealed on the man's arm.

The nurse rejected the man's request to "turn a blind eye" and reported the matter to the person in charge. The man has been booked by the police on fraud charges.

The police are investigating, believing the man committed this act to obtain the immunity certificate called the "Green Pass."

The Green Pass, also known as the vaccine pass, is a certificate issued to those who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, tested negative through screening, or recovered from the virus.

Italy first introduced the vaccine pass in early August as part of its with-COVID-19 measures, and it is now applied to almost all areas of daily life.