Allow kids to get vaccinations without parental consent

SHARE Allow kids to get vaccinations without parental consent
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In this Jan. 30, 2019, file photo, a sign warning patients and visitors of a measles outbreak is shown posted at The Vancouver Clinic in Vancouver, Wash. Officials in the Pacific Northwest say a measles outbreak that sickened multiple people is over. | AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus, File

Twelve-year-olds in Illinois who are addicted to drugs or alcohol can get treatment without parental consent. Illinois law says so.

Minor children in Illinois who are parents can make health care-related decisions for themselves and their kids. That’s also covered by an Illinois law.

It’s time for the Illinois Legislature to allow kids to be vaccinated without parental consent. Hundreds of measles cases across the U.S. is all the reason you need to rewrite Illinois law.

OPINION

Parents’ resistance to vaccinations was once typically rooted in religious convictions. In recent decades, too many parents have made irresponsible decisions because they believe anti-vaccine myths or think the government is overreaching by requiring vaccinations. This is now part of our broader culture wars.

Some conservative lawmakers are irresponsibly feeding the resistance. “Parental rights mean more to us than your self enriching ‘science,’” Texas state Rep. Jonathan Stickland tweeted Tuesday at a pediatrician advocating for vaccines. Stickland also tweeted, “Make the case for your sorcery to consumers on your own dime. Like every other business. Quit using the heavy hand of government to make your business profitable through mandates and immunity.”

Some kids know better. They are searching on Google or social media sites to find out if they can be vaccinated without parental consent. Illinois should allow it.

A child who seeks out a doctor for vaccinations is mature enough to get them. A few states recognize this. In Oregon, teens between the ages of 15 and 17 can receive vaccinations without parental consent. Washington state allows “mature” minors to be vaccinated.

In Illinois, lawmakers can amend an existing law that allows minors who live apart from their parents or guardians and are at least 14 years old to seek primary care services, including vaccinations, from a doctor.

This law, enacted for homeless kids who handle their own affairs, can be amended to allow all teenagers to be vaccinated without parental consent and allow even younger kids to be vaccinated with consent from a relative.

There are too many kids out there who aren’t vaccinated. Last month WBEZ reported that only 9% of Illinois schools have 100% of their students vaccinated against the measles. In Cook and Lake counties, 67 schools have less than 90% of students with proof of vaccination. Kids who are home-schooled aren’t monitored as closely so it’s hard to know their vaccination rates.

This year there have been seven reported cases of measles in Illinois. New York City has had hundreds of cases in the last several months, and in Michigan there have been more than 40. The numbers are ridiculous considering the U.S. declared the measles eradicated almost two decades ago.

Between Jan. 1 and May 3, there were 764 confirmed cases of measles in 23 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the highest number in the U.S. since 1994.

But in Mississippi, thanks to tough vaccination laws, the state health department hasn’t identified a case of the measles since 1992 (of course, activists are trying to soften the law there). Mississippi allows exemptions from vaccinations only for medical reasons. Illinois allows religious and medical exemptions.

Short of adopting Mississippi’s law, Illinois lawmakers should allow children to be vaccinated without their parents’ permission. They owe it to the kids.

Marlen Garcia is a Sun-Times Editorial Board member.

Send letters to letters@suntimes.com.

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