Several NYC teachers have denied their involvement in a $1.5 million scheme that involved submitting fake vaccine cards at a Long Island pediatric center.
Eighty-two teachers said they received COVID-19 vaccines at Wild Child Pediatric Healthcare in Amityville, which is known for offering holistic and natural remedies.
In a scandal coming from the vaccine mandates imposed by governments and businesses, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office accuses two nurses of giving out fake vax cards to hundreds of customers, charging adults $220 for each dose marked on the card ($440 for both) and $85 for minors, the New York Post reported.
Nurse practitioner Julie DeVuono, who is the owner and operator of the center, is also accused of falsely listing clients as vaccinated in the New York State Immunization Information System, which is a felony.
Three Queens teachers whose names came up as Wild Child customers made a statement on the matter but under anonymity. They all denied buying fraudulent vaccine cards and insisted they got their shots and that their vaccination cards are valid.
However, they did admit to paying the steep fees, but say it was for a “detox” treatment to offset any adverse reaction to the vaccine.
“We paid for the detox protocol. We did not pay for the vaccination itself or the card,” said an elementary teacher who works with students with severe disabilities.
“It helped detox my body from all the unnecessary stuff in that shot,” the teacher said.
It’s still unclear what the detox involved, but teachers said it involved pills.
“She just told me that it would help detox my body and I trusted her,” one said, referring to DeVuono, who has also treated her six-year-old son for years.
Another teacher said, “She tries holistic approaches before giving medications so when my son had an ear infection, she’s like, ‘Okay, it’s not that bad. Let’s try garlic oil first.’”
The teachers have since been banned from the schools they worked at, saying it hurts students and their families.
