$300,000 fine imposed on a midwife who fabricated vaccination records for hundreds of school-age children.

 

A $300,000 fine was imposed on a midwife from Nassau County for fabricating immunization records for almost 1,500 school-age children across the state of New York.

According to a news release issued on Wednesday by the New York State Department of Health, the vaccine program went into effect at the beginning of the 2019–2020 school year, which is three months after the non-medical exemptions for necessary school vaccinations were eliminated in June 2019.

According to a health department release, Jeannette Breen, a licensed midwife who ran Baldwin Midwifery, gave children a series of homeopathic oral pellets in lieu of the necessary vaccinations and then fabricated their immunization records.

The announcement states that the pellets, which are being promoted as a vaccine substitute, are “not authorised by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) nor approved by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the Department” of Health.

According to officials, Breen gave the pellets in place of shots for polio, rubella, measles, mumps, hepatitis B, and other illnesses.

According to the announcement, “Breen was discovered to have given 12,449 fictitious vaccinations to approximately 1,500 school-aged patients as a pretext for submitting false information to the New York State Immunisation Information System (NYSIIS)”.

Breen was contacted by CNN for a statement.

According to the announcement, the programme voids the immunisation cards of the youngsters involved, most of whom are from Long Island but came from all around the state.

Before they may return to school, “all affected children must be fully up to date with all age-appropriate immunisations, or be in the process of receiving their missing vaccinations,” the announcement stated.

Of the $300,000 fine that was agreed upon, Breen paid $150,000. Breen “must never again administer a vaccination that must be reported” to the New York State Immunisation Information System, as well as have her access to it permanently barred, said the press release, as per the terms of the agreement.

According to the announcement, Breen will only be required to comply with specific requirements, such as not giving vaccinations and not taking part in any kind of scheme or effort to falsify immunisation records, in order for the remaining portion of the fine to be suspended.

 

According to the announcement, “the authority to pursue charges of professional misconduct against Breen’s licence” belongs to the New York State Education Department, which grants licences to midwives.

State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa said in the statement, “By purposefully falsifying immunisation records for students, this licenced health care professional not only endangered the health and safety of our school communities but also undermined public trust.”

Dr. James McDonald, the state commissioner of health, continued, saying that fabricating and misrepresenting vaccination records “puts lives in jeopardy.”

Let me say this clearly: the New York State Department of Health takes this seriously. Anyone found to have violated this policy will face consequences, including an investigation and the use of all available enforcement measures, according to McDonald.