The COVID-19 vaccines have been more than politically divisive: Sometimes a single household is split, prompting kids to tap state and local laws that allow minors to get vaccinated without parental consent.
A city regulation in Philadelphia, for instance, allows children 11 years old and older to get vaccinated on their own.
NPR reported Wednesday about high school junior Nicolas Montero, who employed the city’s regulation to get vaccinated because his parents are against it.
“The thing about these beliefs is that they alternate by the day,” Nicolas, 16, told NPR. “It’s not one solid thing that they’re going with, so it’s just really baseless. It’s like one thing they see on Facebook, and then they completely believe it.”
Alabama allows 14-year-olds and up to approve their own vaccinations, while Oregon permits it at 15 years old and Rhode Island and South Carolina allow it at 16 years old, the new outlet reported.
California lets children as young as 12 years old to get vaccines for sexually transmitted infections but is considering a bill that would expand permission to all vaccines.
Philadelphia passed its rule in 2017 because of concerns many low-income parents cannot get off work to bring their kids in for immunizations.
For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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