Falsifying vaccination records for almost 1,500 school-aged children in New York state resulted in a $300,000 penalty for a midwife from Nassau County.
A press statement from the New York State Department of Health said on Wednesday, January 17, that the vaccination scheme started at the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year. That was three months after the suspension of non-medical exemptions for mandatory school vaccines was lifted in June 2019.
High-Risk Vaccine Scheme
A health department report said that Jeannette Breen, a certified midwife who ran Baldwin Midwifery, gave children homeopathic oral pellets instead of the necessary immunizations. Breen also fabricated the children's vaccination records.
Apparently, the pellets have not been given the green light by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , or the Department of Health in the United States, as reported by CNN, citing the news release.
According to authorities, Breen used the pellets in place of needles to vaccinate children against illnesses such as diphtheria, hepatitis B, measles, mumps, polio, and rubella.
In the statement, it said: "Breen was found to have administered 12,449 fake immunizations to roughly 1,500 school-aged patients as pretext for submitting false information to the New York State Immunization Information System (NYSIIS)."
A large number of children's vaccination cards were nullified as a consequence of the scam, which affected youngsters throughout the state, mostly from Long Island. "All affected children must be fully up to date with all age-appropriate immunizations, or be in the process of receiving their missing vaccinations, before they can return to school."
Hefty Penalty
As part of the agreed-upon $300,000 penalty, Breen forked out $150,000. Vaccinations given by Breen will not be recorded by the New York State Immunization Information System, and she will be permanently barred from using the system as per the agreement.
Breen may have the rest of the fee waived if she follows a few rules, such as not giving vaccines and not being involved in any plot to falsify vaccination records.
However, Breen's license might be subject to charges of professional misconduct brought by the New York State Education Department, which is responsible for issuing midwife licenses.
State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa said in a statement that Breen, despite being a certified healthcare provider, put the school communities at risk and betrayed public confidence by knowingly manipulating children's vaccination records.
Dr. James McDonald, the state's health commissioner, added a comment saying that faking or misrepresenting vaccination records endangers people's lives.
