A Long Island midwife falsified vaccine records for about 1,500 school-age children, the New York State Department of Health said Wednesday, and it fined her $300,000.
Officials said the program began at the beginning of the 2019-20 school year after New York City eliminated religious exemptions for vaccinations due to the measles outbreak. Under the new rules, about 26,000 children who were previously exempt will need to be vaccinated to return to school this fall.
But instead of administering needed vaccines, authorities say Janet Breen, a midwife in Baldwin, New York, administered thousands of homeopathic oral pellets to school-age children and falsified immunization records. .
The oral pellets in question were sold as an alternative to vaccinations, but had not been federally licensed or approved as a vaccine for any disease. Officials said Breen administered the vaccine as an alternative to vaccinations for diseases such as hepatitis, diphtheria, polio and measles.
Children who receive pellets attend hundreds of different schools. Officials said schools have been directed to notify parents that they cannot return to school until they provide proof of vaccination.
Most of the children with falsified records were on Long Island, but many were from New York City and some came from other parts of the state, such as Erie County.
“Misrepresentation or falsification of vaccine records puts lives at risk and undermines the systems that exist to protect public health,” said State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald.
It was not immediately clear whether the plan caused any illness or the spread of the disease.
The Department of Health said Breen has already paid $150,000 of the $300,000 fine, and the rest of the fine can be suspended if he meets certain conditions, including a ban on vaccinations or participating in schemes to falsify vaccination records. said.
Breen did not respond to messages seeking comment.
In a 2019 affidavit, she said she had run a midwifery clinic in Baldwin for about 30 years and graduated from Columbia University's School of Nursing in 1984 with a master's degree.
The statement involved a lawsuit regarding whether pregnant hospital employees should be exempt from flu vaccination requirements. Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that pregnant women get the flu shot, Breen expressed skepticism about its safety and benefits for pregnant women.
“Well, doctors don't always know best,” she said.
