Former N.Y. Nurse Who Faked Childhood Vaccination Records for Over 160 Students Faces Record-Breaking Fine

Key Points:

• Julie DeVuono, a former New York pediatric nurse, was fined $544,000 by the New York State Department of Health for falsifying COVID-19 and other childhood vaccination records for 162 children, marking the largest civil penalty in the agency's history.
• DeVuono pleaded guilty to money laundering, forgery, and offering a false instrument for filing, and was sentenced to five years probation, surrendered her nursing license, and forfeited $1.2 million from the scheme.
• The fraudulent vaccination records, created between June 2021 and January 2022, were primarily for children in Long Island and the Hudson Valley, with some extending to New York City and the Capital District.
• She charged patients $220 to $350 for fake COVID-19 vaccine cards and used the proceeds to cover personal expenses, including her mortgage.
• Families of affected children were notified and required to provide valid immunization proof before the children could return to school, and DeVuono’s name was removed from healthcare provider listings.