Last week, a New York science teacher was arrested for administering a COVID-19 vaccine to a 17-year-old student. According to officials, the school teacher had no formal medical qualifications to give a vaccine.

Lauro Russo, the school biology teacher, gave the vaccine shot at her home to one of her students, without having consent from the boy’s parents.

The 17-year-old boy allegedly wanted the vaccine, and came home to tell his parents about what happened. The boy’s parents called the police and are now investigating how the school teacher obtained a vaccine in the first place.

If administered incorrectly, injections can be harmful to a patient. Vaccines are specifically given by doctors and other licensed medical workers in order to ensure that the vaccine is not counterfeit or expired. Moreover, before taking the vaccine, patients are always asked about their medical history to see if receiving a vaccine would be safe. After the vaccine is administered, patient reaction is monitored for a few minutes to see if patients develop any allergic reactions or serious conditions.

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is the only one allowed to be used for Americans under 18 years old. Police are still investigating what brand of vaccine the school teacher administered to the boy.

As of now, the school teacher is no longer allowed to teach in her classroom and has been reassigned until further investigation. A court hearing is scheduled for January 21, 2022.