NEW YORK, NY. — A New York biology teacher administered a COVID-19 vaccine to a 17 year-old student against his mother's wishes.
Laura Russo teaches at Herricks High School in Long Island. She is now facing up to four years in prison for administering the vaccine without professional medical training and without the consent of the student's mother. Russo's son is friends with the student and she injected him with the vaccine after he asked her to.
Video published by NBC New York shows Russo administering the vaccine in her home and stating "there you go, at-home vaccine" once she was done.
The student told his mom afterwards, which led to her calling the police. Russo was arrested on New Year's Eve. She has been charged with unauthorized practice of a profession under New York State Education Law, a felony that can land her up to four years in prison.
She has been released and will be in court January 21. It is still unknown how she obtained the vaccine vial.
