New York Nurse Hit With Fine For Faking Vaccine Records

A New York nurse just made state history with a record-breaking penalty tied to a vaccine fraud scheme that reached the Hudson Valley.

The fine represents the largest civil penalty for vaccination fraud in the agency's 125-year history.

New York Nurse Fined For Fake COVID-19 Vaccine Cards

The New York State Department of Health issued a historic $544,000 civil penalty against former Julie DeVuono. The Long Island-based nurse practitioner owned and operated Wild Child Pediatric Healthcare in Amityville.

Despite being based on Long Island, her scheme impacted the Hudson Valley.

State health officials penalized DeVuono after determining she falsified electronic state immunization records for 162 school-aged children.

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Fake Vaccine Cards For Children In Hudson Valley, Capital Region, New York City and Long Island

Officials say DeVuono entered false data into the New York State Immunization Information System. She claimed routine childhood vaccinations were administered when they were not.

It involved children from the Hudson Valley, Capital Region, New York City and Long Island between November 2019 and January 2022.

The fake records covered required school vaccines like measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), polio, chickenpox, hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and COVID.

Arrested In 2022

DeVuono was arrested in January 2022 for a multi-million dollar fake COVID-19 vaccination card scheme.

Officials say she charged $220 for fake adult cards and $85 for pediatric entries, pocketing roughly $1.5 million. She pleaded guilty to several charges in 2023.

When sentenced, she was required to forfeit more than $1.2 million, surrender her nursing licenses, serve five years of probation and complete 840 hours of community service.