In an interview with Medscape, bioethicist Dr. Art Caplan says he believes that most kids want to get the COVID-19 vaccine, if for no other reason than they want to get back to school, and to return to the normality they knew before the pandemic, and that they should be allowed to get it whether their parents approve or not.
“I'm very positive about young people wanting to go back to normality,” Caplan says. “I'm also very positive that we're going to see situations where young people are going to want to step up to the plate and protect the community.”
Caplan adds that it may be time to allow children to make that decision for themselves, just like they can in some states with reproductive health. At least nine states allow children to get vaccinated without their parents’ consent; some are restricted only to vaccines for sexually transmitted diseases, while others allow the children to consent to any health care service, without restriction.
When it comes to the COVID vaccine, Caplan says, “Vaccination is very low risk … I favor letting young people get vaccinated without parental consent.”
But do children fully understand the dynamics of what they’re agreeing to, seeing that the COVID vaccines are only being given under emergency use authorization (EUA) — meaning they’re still technically in the experimental stage?
If nothing else, Caplan’s statement is quite a contrast to one he made in 1992 about the Nuremberg Code, which he said, “Every experiment, no matter how important or valuable, requires the express voluntary consent of the individual. The right of individuals to control their bodies trumps the interest of others in obtaining knowledge or benefits from them.”
Coincidentally, the CDC recently released new guidelines for standing orders for children ages 12 and up for the Pfizer COVID vaccine. Standing orders mean that a nurse or other health care professional can go ahead and prepare the vaccine and give it without involving the doctor. Since many children may see their physicians alone for their annual school checkups, it’s possible that standing orders would mean they could end up getting the COVID vaccine without their parents’ knowledge.
SOURCES:
Medscape May 15, 2021
CDC Standing Orders May 25, 2021
Beckers Hospital Review June 24, 2019
NVIC May 26, 2021