Charlotte Foster
Legal

Woman arrested for paying vulnerable person to get Covid jab

A woman in South Australia has been arrested after allegedly paying money to a vulnerable person to receive the Covid vaccine on her behalf. 

Police said that the 52-year-old woman needed to have evidence of getting the jab for her employment, but was not willing to have the life-saving vaccine. 

Instead, she accompanied another person to a vaccine clinic and allegedly deceived SA Health workers into giving the person the vaccine in her name by pretending to the the person's carer. 

She has been charged with deception and dishonestly dealing with documents.

South Australia Premier Steven Marshall condemned the woman's actions, saying paying someone to get jabbed was "completely unacceptable".

"This is unconscionable behaviour if correct," he said.

There have been countless accounts worldwide of individuals attempting to flout mandatory vaccine rules by paying others to have them on their behalf after being tempted by financial compensation. 

As well as fake vaccine information, others have tried to forge vaccinate passports and use fake QR codes to avoid checking into places of business in adherence with Covid restrictions. 

Image credits: Getty Images

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legal, COVID-19, vaccination, arrested