New York’s health department has imposed a hefty fine of over $500,000 on a former nurse practitioner from Amityville for falsifying immunization records for 162 children, mainly from Long Island. This fine marks the largest penalty ever for vaccine fraud issued by the agency.
Julie DeVuono faced this fine following a lengthy investigation by the Department of Health, and the legal order against her was publicly released on Thursday. Earlier this year, she lost her nursing licenses after pleading guilty in a different case, in which she admitted to generating more than $1.2 million by selling fake COVID-19 vaccine cards.
In the case of pediatric vaccine fraud, it was reported that DeVuono provided homeopathic pellets to parents reluctant to vaccinate their children against diseases such as measles, mumps, and polio. She recorded these pellets as legitimate vaccinations in the state’s electronic immunization database.
Dr. James McDonald, the state’s health commissioner, stated, “The New York State Department of Health has zero tolerance for those that misrepresent or falsify vaccination records as these acts put lives in jeopardy,” expressing serious concern over the implications of such actions.
KEY FINDINGS
- Julie DeVuono was fined $544,000 for falsifying children’s vaccine records.
- Instead of administering vaccines, she gave pellets to parents unwilling to vaccinate, charging $85 for each, while falsely documenting immunizations.
- The bogus records were for vaccines against illnesses like polio and measles, which can be deadly.
Vaccine-preventable diseases like measles historically killed thousands of children each year and caused severe complications for many others before vaccines were introduced.
Arthur Caplan, an expert in vaccine fraud, praised the health department’s decision. He pointed out the significance of the fine, suggesting it sends a clear message: the state will not tolerate actions that could harm children.
He stated, “It’s meant to be a deterrent to anyone who wants to put kids’ lives at risk with a fraudulent profiteering scheme. That sum is enough to get people’s attention who might engage in this.” Initially, the health department sought a $1 million fine, but after recommendations from an administrative law judge, the final amount was set at $544,000, which was approved by McDonald.
Now residing in Pennsylvania, DeVuono could not be contacted for comment, and her attorney did not respond to inquiries. Although she “generally denied the Department’s charge,” the order mentioned she failed to provide any evidence to support her claims, such as medical records that are legally required.
The concerns about DeVuono’s vaccine records emerged in 2019, after New York ended religious exemptions for vaccinations. Schools reported anomalies regarding vaccination records from her Wild Child Pediatrics practice, as children previously exempted were suddenly showing up with handwritten records claiming they had received vaccinations.
Additionally, the state noted that DeVuono’s reporting of a significant number of vaccinations coincided suspiciously with the end of religious exemptions. News reports indicated that she had not recorded any vaccinations in the state’s immunization registry until those exemptions were lifted.
DeVuono was also found to have directed a licensed practical nurse to document false records in the immunization database while charging $85 for those homeopathic pellets. Although some patients did receive genuine vaccines, the majority of the cases involved manipulation of records.
Investigators found that while most affected children were from Long Island, some were from New York City or upstate regions, raising further suspicion about why parents would travel such distances. One parent noted that his children reported receiving only gummy bears from DeVuono instead of actual shots, and subsequent blood tests revealed that at least one child had no immunity from the supposed vaccinations.
In administrative proceedings, the state needed to establish a “preponderance of evidence” indicating malpractice. Meanwhile, criminal charges require proving guilt “beyond a reasonable doubt,” which is why DeVuono has not faced criminal charges related to pediatric vaccine fraud.
