Social media users support New York midwife who destroyed COVID-19 vaccines and distributed fake cards

Last week, a New York midwife pleaded guilty to destroying 2,600 COVID-19 vaccines, distributing a corresponding number of fake COVID-19 vaccine cards, and falsely reporting COVID-19 vaccinations to the state’s database. According to the midwife’s lawyer, “She believes that her actions were justified by moral necessity though she knows that she violated the law by defrauding the government.” Within a day, news of the midwife’s guilty plea spread across multiple news websites and social media platforms. Some social media users called the midwife a “hero” for helping thousands sidestep vaccine mandates.

Recommendation: Trending conversations criticizing COVID-19 vaccine mandates provide an opportunity to educate target populations about the intentions of vaccine mandates and to recirculate existing content about the safety and importance of COVID-19 vaccines. Messaging may emphasize that vaccine mandates are intended to prevent severe illness and death caused by dangerous diseases. Research shows that COVID-19 vaccine mandates reduced the spread of COVID-19. Continuing to reiterate that COVID-19 vaccines have been rigorously studied in millions of people worldwide and have been determined to be safe is recommended.