A nurse in Germany faces allegations of injecting saline solution into at least 8,600 individuals instead of the COVID-19 vaccine. She had been sharing anti-vaccine conspiracy theories on social media months earlier.
Last spring, authorities in Germany launched a police investigation into a nurse who admitted to injecting saline into six patients after accidentally dropping a vial of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Subsequent antibody tests revealed a far broader impact.
Reporting from the New York Times' Berlin correspondent and German daily Der Tagesspiegel, officials confirm the nurse deliberately administered saline solution to nearly 8,600 people.
As the person responsible for preparing syringes at the vaccination center, she had easy access to replace vaccine vials with saline. "I am totally shocked by this episode," stated Sven Ambrosy, a local councilor, on Facebook.
The affected individuals, dubbed "fake vaccinated," hail from the Friesland district in northern Germany. They received injections at the Roffhausen center near Wilhelmshaven between March and April 2021. Many are elderly, a high-risk group for severe COVID-19. Local officials strongly recommend revaccination.
The 40-year-old nurse, who worked with the Red Cross and has not been publicly named, is refusing to cooperate. "As she remains silent with the police, we don't know if and to what extent she was manipulated during this time," said Claudia Schröder, a local public health official, as quoted in the New Zealand Herald.
Her motives remain unclear, but investigators found she had shared multiple anti-vaccine posts on social media during the period in question. No charges have been announced yet.
This incident is not isolated. Despite Germany having fully vaccinated 55.61% of its population against COVID-19, anti-vaccine protests continue against restrictions, similar to demonstrations in France opposing health passes.
