The Florida Department of Health said Feb. 23 that Ishrat Sohail, MD, an Orlando pediatrician, improperly administered vaccines to up to 500 children, according to WKMG.
Dr. Sohail was briefly suspended from the Vaccines for Children program in 2016 after an inspector found she charged a private payer for vaccines the government gave her free of charge. In January 2018, employees in Dr. Sohail's office alleged she was not administering the full amount of certain vaccines and was collecting thousands of dollars for the free vaccines. State health officials said this put hundreds of children at risk for disease and illness, according to the report.
When inspectors raided Dr. Sohail's office Feb. 23, they found partially used vaccine vials in the fridge, including vaccines that prevent hepatitis A, HPV and whooping cough.
"If your child received vaccines from Dr. Sohail between 2016 and 2018, you should contact a new primary care provider to consider revaccination," the Florida Department of Health said in a statement. "There is also the possibility that Dr. Sohail did not follow best practices in maintaining the sterility of the vaccines she administered."
On Feb. 26, a spokesman for the Orange County Department of Health told WKMG no one has reported a serious illness or reaction from vaccines administered by Dr. Sohail.
Dr. Sohail's medical license has been suspended, and she is charged with Medicaid fraud. She bonded out of the Seminole County (Fla.) jail Feb. 23, according to the report.
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