Italian man tries to dodge Covid vaccine wearing fake arm

An Italian man is facing charges of fraud after turning up for his Covid-19 vaccine wearing a fake arm.

So determined was he to dodge the jab but still obtain a health pass, the anti-vaxxer may have paid hundreds of euros for the silicone prosthetic.

The bizarre episode at a vaccine hub in Biella, a town close to Turin in the northern Piedmont region, came a week after Italy announced measures barring unvaccinated people from a host of social, cultural and sporting activities.

After completing the bureaucratic formalities, including signing a consent form in front of a doctor, the man, aged 50, sat down and lifted up the sleeve of his shirt as he prepared for a health worker to administer the jab.

Initially, the health worker did not notice anything odd, as the silicone looked similar to skin. But after taking a closer look and touching the arm, the medic asked the man to take off his shirt. His plan foiled, the man, who has not been named, then tried to persuade the health worker to turn a blind eye.

It is not clear whether he was wearing a whole fake arm or some kind of silicone layer over his skin.

La Repubblica suggested that the incident might not have been a one-off, citing a recent message on social media that might have been written by the man in Biella.