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Minor Consent for Vaccination: Ethically Justified, Politically Fraught.

James Colgrove
Published in: The Journal of law, medicine & ethics : a journal of the American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics (2024)
Policies allowing some minors to consent to receive recommended vaccines are ethically defensible. However, a policy change at the federal level expanding minor consent for vaccinations nationwide risks triggering a political backlash. Such a move may be perceived as infringing on the rights of parents to make decisions about their children's health care. In the current post-COVID environment of heightened anti-vaccination activism, changes to minor consent laws may be unadvisable, and policy makers should proceed with caution.
Keyphrases
  • healthcare
  • public health
  • mental health
  • sars cov
  • coronavirus disease
  • depressive symptoms
  • young adults
  • physical activity
  • social support
  • cross sectional
  • climate change
  • respiratory syndrome coronavirus