By now, you’ve undoubtedly heard about the rise in measles cases that have been happening in various parts of the country. For example, according to USA Today, health officials in Oregon had to declare a public health emergency because of an outbreak of measles that is affecting kids. It doesn’t stop there, either, as more than 30 measles cases were also identified in Washington.
In the majority of the measles cases, the children weren’t vaccinated against this highly contagious disease. As a result, unvaccinated teens are now seeking rights to obtain basic vaccines in order to protect themselves, even if their parents are against such vaccinations.
The Current Law
As more teens learn about the outbreak of diseases like measles, they are educating themselves on how those outbreaks could be prevented with the use of vaccines. And, once they have more information about the benefits of vaccinations, many unvaccinated teens seek ways to receive those protective vaccines as soon as they can.
Unfortunately, there aren’t any federal laws currently that govern the ability of a minor to consent to receiving a vaccine. It basically rests in the states’ hands, so they are responsible for determining if kids are able to make decisions about their health care on their own.
Many of these unvaccinated teens end up arguing with their parents, who are anti-vaccine, about whether or not they should get vaccinated to protect their health. Despite fighting with their parents, many aren’t granted their permission to go get vaccinated, so they will have to wait until they turn 18 to make that decision for themselves.
In the meantime, it appears that more and more advocates for lowering the age of consent for vaccinations are raising their voices for change. Until the laws shift, however, it is up to health professionals to properly educate parents about the importance of vaccines.