Woman Dies Of COVID-19 After Presenting Fake Vaccine Card

A 57-year-old French woman has died of COVID-19 after giving health officials a fake vaccination card.

The woman, whose identity was not revealed by officials, was admitted to the Raymond-Poincaré de Garches hospital in Hauts-de-Seine for COVID-19 at the start of December. When the woman arrived at the hospital, she presented medical staff with a certificate that said she had been vaccinated against the virus, Franceinfo reported.

Her health deteriorated rapidly as doctors at the hospital conducted a series of tests to determine the cause of her failing health. After doing a test to detect antibodies, the ICU staff found out that the woman had shown them a fake COVID-19 vaccination certificate.

"When we had the revelation that she had not been vaccinated, we understood her medical history better,” Prof. Djillali Annane, head of the hospital’s intensive care unit, told Franceinfo. "We could have prescribed a treatment based on neutralizing antibodies, something we obviously did not think of because we thought she was vaccinated.”

But by the time doctors found out about her fake vaccination, it was too late to change her treatment. She died shortly after.

The 57-year-old was not the first person in France to have presented a fake vaccination card. At least three patients aged 40 and younger who were admitted at the Antibes Hospital Centre also showed fake certificates, Dr. Eric Denis, head of the hospital’s infectious disease unit, told Nice Matin.

French authorities have opened 400 investigations into networks that provide residents with fake COVID-19 cards, including some that were connected to medical professionals, according to ABC News. Authorities have yet to say whether they have arrested anyone in connection to the fake health passes.

The French government recently imposed strict restrictions on health passes, including requiring people to present a certificate when entering restaurants or venues. To get one, a person must show proof of vaccination, a negative virus test less than a day old, or proof of recent recovery from COVID-19.

The government is also taking away health pass benefits from people aged 65 and older who are eligible to get a booster shot but have refused to take it. The rule is expected to be expanded across all age groups from Jan. 15.