A New York high school teacher with no formal medical training was arrested for allegedly giving a 17-year-old student a Covid-19 vaccine, reported the authorities.
Police said Laura Russo administered the dose at home in spite of not have legal authorization to give injections or the consent of the adolescent’s parents.
Russo is 54 years old and teaches biology. It was detained on New Years Eve and she can face four years in prison if convicted.
The injections they can be dangerous if administered incorrectly. Physicians and medical workers should verify that a vaccine is not counterfeit or expired. Patients should also be asked regarding their medical history and their reaction following a puncture should be monitored.
The police reported that It is not clear how Russo obtained the alleged vaccine once morest coronavirus or from what laboratory it is. At the moment, the Pfizer-BioNTech formula is the only one authorized in U.S for those under 18 years of age.
Video of the incident appears to show Russo telling the adolescent: “You’ll be fine, I hope.” And adds: “Here you have. Vaccine at home ”.
The authorities stated that the teenager’s parents called the police following he got home and recounted what had happened.
“She had gotten a vaccine,” said New York Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder. “It is still under investigation as to how he got it.”
The principal at Herricks High School, where Russo works, said in a statement that the teacher “is a district employee who has been removed from the classroom and reassigned pending the outcome of the investigation “, reported CBS News, the BBC’s partner in the United States.
Russian is accused of illegal exercise of a profession.
A court hearing is scheduled for January 21.