A licensed midwife in Nassau County is facing a substantial $300,000 fine for orchestrating a vaccine scheme that involved creating false immunization records for around 1,500 school-aged children across New York state.
The fraudulent activity unfolded during the 2019-2020 school year, just three months after the elimination of non-medical exemptions for mandatory school vaccinations in June 2019, as revealed by a Wednesday news release from the New York State Department of Health.
Jeannette Breen, the midwife behind the scheme and operator of Baldwin Midwifery, provided children with homeopathic oral pellets instead of the required vaccinations, subsequently falsifying their immunization records. These pellets, promoted as an alternative to vaccination, lack authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and approval from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the Department of Health as a valid form of immunization.
Breen administered these pellets as substitutes for vaccines against diseases such as diphtheria, hepatitis B, measles, mumps, polio, rubella, and others. The investigation revealed that Breen administered 12,449 fake immunizations to approximately 1,500 school-aged patients, submitting false information to the New York State Immunization Information System (NYSIIS).
As a consequence of the scheme, the immunization cards of affected children, primarily from Long Island, were voided. The release emphasizes that all impacted children must catch up on age-appropriate immunizations before returning to school.
Breen has already paid $150,000 of the imposed $300,000 fine. The agreement stipulates that she is permanently excluded from administering reportable vaccinations to the NYSIIS. The remaining fine will be suspended upon Breen’s compliance with specific conditions, including refraining from administering immunizations and avoiding any involvement in schemes or attempts to misrepresent immunization records.
The New York State Education Department, responsible for licensing midwives, has the authority to pursue charges of professional misconduct against Breen. State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa expressed concern over the endangerment of school communities’ health and safety, emphasizing the erosion of public trust. State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald warned that misrepresenting and falsifying vaccine records puts lives in jeopardy, affirming the state’s commitment to investigating and enforcing consequences for such violations. Stay informed for updates on this developing situation.
