Macon-Bibb health officials try to dispel false HIV, hepatitis claims

Georgia health officials and the Macon-Bibb County Health Department are working vigorously to dispel false online claims that a health department nurse exposed hundreds of people to HIV and hepatitis in Middle Georgia.

An article posted recently on two phony websites -- www.TMZtoday.com and www.reportquickly.com -- alleges the infectious diseases were spread by a nurse who failed to change needles before administering flu shots.

The Georgia Department of Public Health became aware of the false claims Friday, said Alyson Stuckart, public information officer for the North Central Health District.

"The Macon-Bibb Health Department has been inundated with calls (from people) to figure out whether or not this was in fact true, and it's absolutely false," Stuckart said. "Right now, I'm deferring to the (Department of Public Health) state office in Atlanta to try and make contact with the website administrators to ask them to take it down. As of now, we haven't been able to make contact with them."

Stuckart said she doesn't know why someone would publish the false information.

"The Macon-Bibb County Health Department nurses administer flu vaccine with pre-filled, disposable syringes. So, the fictitious scenario suggested is not feasible," Nancy White, the department's administrator, said in a news release. "The misfortune of such an irresponsible hoax is that it could deter people from taking the most important precaution for preventing the flu, and that is getting an annual vaccination."

To contact writer Laura Corley, call 744-4334 or follow her on Twitter @Lauraecor.

This story was originally published October 23, 2015 at 9:44 PM with the headline "Macon-Bibb health officials try to dispel false HIV, hepatitis claims ."