California Decides Not To Expand Teen Vaccination Without Parental Consent

California has decided it won't allow teens age 15 and older to be vaccinated against the coronavirus without the consent of their parents, according to the Associated Press.

The bill's author, State Senator Scott Wiener, announced on Wednesday, August 31, that he won't put the measure up for a vote in the state Assembly because it does not have enough support to pass.

California minors aged 12 to 17 can already receive jabs for HPV and hepatitis B, which help prevent sexually transmitted diseases without permission from their guardians or parents. The bill would have allowed teenagers 15 and older to receive any vaccine approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), even if their parents objected.

Wiener blames anti-vaxxers for the bill's lack of support

Wiener, a Democrat from the city of San Francisco, blamed the lack of support for the measure on months of misinformation and harassment by a small but highly vocal and organized minority of anti-vaxxers. He added that the anti-vaxxers may have prevailed in this fight, but the broader battle for science and health continues.

A coalition of groups opposed to vaccine mandates called it a blatant and dangerous trampling of California parents' and guardians' ability to protect and care for their kids. According to A Voice for Choice Advocacy, minors may not know their full medical history and the potential risks the vaccines may pose.

The group added that if the minors don't tell their parents that they obtained the vaccine on their own, parents may not know what is wrong with their child when they experience an adverse reaction.

Vaccine consent ages vary across the United States. Alabama allows kids to consent to vaccines starting at age 14, the state of Oregon at 15, and South Carolina and Rhode Island at 16. Cities, including Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia, allow children age 11 and older to consent to COVID-19 vaccines; in San Francisco, the age is 12 and up.

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Several COVID-related bills faced heavy opposition in California

The teen consent bill was one of several COVID-related bills that faced heavy opposition in California. Democratic Senator Richard Pan and Governor Gavin Newsom delayed measures related to school vaccinations until next year. Democratic Assembly member Buffy Wicks also withdrew her bill that would have forced all businesses in California to require COVID vaccines for their employees.

Another Pan bill still moving forward would require California schools to create COVID-19 testing plans. Also under consideration is a bill created by Democratic Assemblymember Evan Low that would make doctors spreading COVID misinformation or disinformation subject to discipline for professional misconduct.

Another bill proposed by Democratic Assemblymember Akilah Weber would require schools, child care facilities, health care providers, and others to disclose certain patient information to local health officials and the California Department of Public Health.

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