Overview
- The New York State Department of Health finalized the $544,000 civil penalty on Thursday after an administrative judge recommended the amount earlier this year.
- Investigators found Julie DeVuono recorded vaccinations for 162 children while giving some parents homeopathic pellets instead of real vaccines and charging about $85 per pellet.
- State records show DeVuono entered more than 7,500 vaccinations into the state registry over two years after having reported none previously, a pattern that first drew school complaints in 2019.
- DeVuono previously pleaded guilty in 2023 to selling fake COVID-19 vaccine cards, forfeited about $1.2 million and lost her nursing licenses, but prosecutors said they did not bring criminal pediatric vaccine charges because proof beyond a reasonable doubt would be difficult.
- Health officials say the penalty aims to deter fraud that can leave children unprotected, force schools to verify records, and erode trust in the electronic immunization system used to prevent outbreaks.