July 13, 2021 | The New York Times

Top Tennessee Vaccine Official Says She Was Fired Over Shots for Teens

From The New York Times:

The issue of whether and when teenagers should be able to consent to health care decisions has been reignited in the debate over the Covid-19 vaccines. Some parents’ rights proponents say parents should have the ultimate authority over their child’s medical care, particularly if they have concerns about the safety of the vaccines. But many legislators and public health officials have supported allowing children as young as 12 to get vaccinated without parental consent.

“Why would we want to discourage anyone, no matter their age, from being vaccinated during a pandemic?” said Dominic A. Sisti, an author of recommendations for adolescent consent and vaccines that were published this week in JAMA Pediatrics. “Teenagers have the capacity to weigh costs and benefits and they often know a lot more about the vaccines than their vaccine-hesitant parents.”

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