California might soon scrap parental consent as a requirement for children above 12 years old if a new COVID vaccine bill is signed into law.
Sen. Scott Wiener introduced the bill to the floor on Thursday, January 20, 2022, which will give the kids "the autonomy to receive life-saving vaccines" despite their parents' beliefs or busy schedules. Wiener said that children should still have access to COVID vaccines even if their parents refuse or could not make time to bring the kids to the vaccination sites.
The Democratic senator also argued that removing parental consent in his new COVID vaccine bill is not groundbreaking since similar laws exist for children's vaccine for Hepatitis B and Human Papillomavirus (HPV). If the bill is signed, California will follow states like Alabama, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Washington, D.C., which do not require parental consent for COVID vaccines for kids.
🧵 I introduced new legislation (#SB866) to lower the vaccine age of consent from 18 to 12.
— Senator Scott Wiener (@Scott_Wiener) January 21, 2022
Unvaccinated teens are at risk, put others at risk & make schools less safe. They often can’t work, participate in sports, or go to friends’ homes.
Let’s let teens protect their health.
Youngest Age Without Parental Consent in Any State
California will have the youngest age of any state to allow vaccination without parental consent once the bill becomes a law. The other states' age limit is between 14 to 16 years old, except for the capital city, Washington, D.C., which allows kids above 11 years old to decide on their own COVID vaccinations.
Wiener felt that it is wrong for parents to block their children's right to the vaccines because they are against the medical procedure or don't think this should be a priority. He said that vaccination matters to anyone's physical or mental health.
But aside from COVID vaccines, Wiener's proposal will also cover vaccinations to protect the kids from measles and other contagious diseases. He reiterated that his proposal is not a radical idea based on various precedents. He is also not proposing a mandate but an option for children.
In October 2021, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that California would mandate vaccination for kids in school. This law has yet to take effect, as the FDA has not given full approval for vaccines for kids, but the California law is open to exemptions based on religious beliefs or medical reasons.
According to the Mayo Clinic, only 19 percent of children above five years old have received two doses of the COVID vaccines across the U.S. The vaccination rate in children is slow because some parents don't want their kids to get the jab.
Wiener Wants to Fight Vaccine Misinformation
However, Republican Assemblyman James Gallagher said that Wiener's new COVID vaccine bill is flawed. He described this as another attempt by a Democrat to "remove parents from the equation." Gallagher said that parents are vital to decisions like vaccination, and while Democrats largely dominate the Senate, Gallagher is confident that this proposal will not pass. He believes that lawmakers are parents first.
Meanwhile, Wiener revealed that he had formed a workgroup with other Democratic lawmakers, such as Sen. Richard Pan, to fight vaccine misinformation. Pan, also a pediatrician, believes that children who have not yet been vaccinated are more vulnerable for as long as the virus is still present.
