A Kerry-based graphic designer says he was surprised after getting a request to make 250 fake vaccine cards.
Currently, people who receive a COVID-19 vaccine receive a cardboard card with a record of the doses they've received.
While these cards are mainly used for administrative reasons, there's now speculation they could be used as part of plans to allow vaccinated people to dine indoors.
Chris McGillicuddy - graphic designer and owner of Brand Geeks in Kerry - recently got a call from someone asking for 250 'blank' cards.
To the person asking us to print 250 of these cards so they'll be able to dine indoors with friends
, the answer is NO!!
It does show how flawed it is that these are proof of vaccination @MichealMartinTD
Anyone could copy these, the whole thing is a joke! #COVID pic.twitter.com/uXAkBUhx02— The Brand Geeks 🤓 (@thebrandgeeks) July 1, 2021
Speaking on Lunchtime Live, he explained: "They wanted blank ones so they could fill them in themselves.
“They were looking for 250, so it was a bit sus.
“It was a very short phone call, but we were surprised to get it."
He said they'd often get requests asking for officials logos printed on the likes of t-shirts - something they will always cut off without official confirmation.
However, he believes this incident was escalating things "to another level".
While Brand Geeks immediately "pooh-poohed" this particular request, Chris believes it does highlight the flaws in vaccination documentation.
He said: “The whole system has been really well done in terms of getting the vaccine… but then you just get this small slip of paper.
"It’s a job that could be done in five or ten minutes. [It's] a very simple thing to copy… if someone was willing to do it."
He noted that many of the required art assets have been made freely available by the HSE so people can create COVID-19 signage.
However, he said the soon-to-be-implemented EU digital green cert system will be a "step-up" in terms of proof of vaccination.
