Sea Cliff, New York – A Long Island biology teacher has been arrested for injecting a teenager with a COVID-19 vaccine without first obtaining his parent’s permission.
Laura Parker Russo, 54, was arrested on Monday and has been charged with the unauthorized practice of a profession, reports WCBS. She is not authorized to administer vaccines.
After allegedly being injected in Russo’s living room on December 31, the 17-year-old male went home and told his mother, who then told police.
Authorities don’t know how Russo obtained the dose, why the teen went to Russo’s home or if he was monitored after being injected with the vaccine. One doctor told WCBS that the shot could have been counterfeit.
Pending the outcome of her case, Russo has been removed from her classroom, reports Local12. She is employed by the Herricks School District.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccination for children between the ages of 5 and 18 years. Additionally, on Monday the FDA announced that it has approved Pfizer boosters for children as young as 12 years of age. Additionally, the agency said it would allow boosters for children 5 years or older with compromised immune systems. The time between the second and third doses of Pfizer COVID vaccines was also shortened from six months to five months.
However, the vaccine must be administered by individuals who are authorized to do so.
Numerous studies have found that vaccinations and especially third doses (boosters) are very effective at reducing the risk of severe infection or death from COVID-19 and the Omicron variant.
