The province required proof of vaccination to access many non-essential services between September 13, 2021 and April 8, 2022. Sarah Jones of Castlegar used her “position, experience, credibility in public health and knowledge of the vaccination system to carry out the fraudulent creation of four vaccine cards”, according to a statement released by the College of Nursing and Midwives BC on Friday. The six-month suspension was one of the terms of a consent agreement Jones entered into regarding the 2021 misconduct. A consent agreement, which is approved by a committee, means both parties have agreed to both the description of the complaint and disciplinary action. The college also says Jones “presented a different version of events” at several points during the investigation. “Her behavior was considered a significant ethical departure from the behavior expected of a nurse,” the statement said. Remedial moral education is the second term of the agreement. In December 2021, the province issued a statement saying it is taking steps to ensure records proving immunization are reviewed to prevent fraud. “Files submitted that are suspected to be fraudulent are reported to law enforcement,” it said. Other incidents of alleged fraud involving vaccine cards include a pharmacy in the Lower Mainland allegedly helping unvaccinated people download an electronic vaccination receipt, and vulnerable people in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside being offered money by people trying to get a card without getting the the shot themselves.
