Social media users support New York nurse who sold fake COVID-19 vaccine cards

On June 11, a former nurse practitioner in New York was sentenced to 840 hours of community service and five years of probation for selling fake COVID-19 vaccine cards. She was also ordered to forfeit $1.2 million. Several comments on a YouTube video of the nurse speaking on the news call her a “hero” and claim that her actions saved lives.

Recommendation: Trending conversations criticizing COVID-19 vaccine mandates may undermine patients’ trust in public health guidance and in COVID-19 vaccine safety. Messaging may emphasize that vaccine mandates are intended to prevent severe illness and death caused by dangerous diseases, and research shows that COVID-19 vaccine mandates reduced the spread of COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccines have been rigorously tested and determined to be safe, as adverse effects are extremely rare. The CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccines for everyone 6 months and older to prevent severe illness, hospitalization, long COVID, and death.