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An Orange County Pediatrician Has Been Arrested: Here's What You Need to Know

Dr. Ishrat Sohail gave partial and contaminated vaccines to young patients in Orange County. Photo: Flickr Creative Commons
Dr. Ishrat Sohail gave partial and contaminated vaccines to young patients in Orange County.

An Orange County pediatrician has been arrested for Medicaid fraud and her license suspended in connection with a Florida Department of Health investigation.  The doctor is accused of giving partial and possibly unsterile vaccines to more than 500 young patients.

State Surgeon General Dr. Celeste Philip issued an emergency order suspending Dr. Ishrat Sohail from the practice of medicine in Florida earlier this year. During a site visit, partially used single-dose vaccines were found in a refrigerator. It’s suspected that the vaccines might have been unsterile.

Families whose children were vaccinated by Dr. Sohail or her staff, from 2016 to 2018, should contact a primary health care provider or the Department of Health-Orange County to determine whether their child should be revaccinated. Families should also contact the health department if their child had a severe reaction or infection due to a contaminated vaccine.

Dr. Sohail was previously suspended from giving vaccines after billing private insurance for shots meant for children on Medicaid.

To listen to the audio version of this story, please click on the clip above.

Danielle Prieur is WMFE's education reporter.