Parents in California are pushing back against a proposed bill that would circumvent the need for parental consent for medical treatment like the COVID-19 vaccination.
QUICK FACTS:
- California parents are pushing back over a bill that would allow children as young as 12 to be vaccinated without their parents’ consent, The Gateway Pundit reported.
- A report by The Associated Press indicated that vaccine hesitancy and “misinformation” have deterred some California residents from being vaccinated for coronavirus.
- The report cited the bill’s author, Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat from San Francisco, who said that vaccine hesitancy for other illnesses such as measles and other contagious diseases, could be fixed with the law.
- The Epoch Times reported that parents have “had enough” and are organizing to push schools to change a number of COVID-19 policies.
- The bill allows for exemptions for religious and personal beliefs, though lawmakers are looking to limit “non-medical” reasons for exemption.
- There is also currently no indication whether that exemption would be for the parents, who would opt their children out, or the children looking to avoid the shots.
- To sign a petition to stop the bill click HERE to join Moms for Liberty, Orange County’s push back against the bill.
WHAT POLITICIANS AND PARENTS ARE SAYING:
- “Giving young people the autonomy to receive life-saving vaccines, regardless of their parents’ beliefs or work schedules, is essential for their physical and mental health,” Wiener said. “It’s unconscionable for teens to be blocked from the vaccine because a parent either refuses or cannot take their child to a vaccination site.”
- “This to me seems to be another example of Democrats wanting to remove parents from the equation,” said Republican Assemblyman James Gallagher. “I think that’s flawed policy. I think parents are vital to these decisions. I think there will be bipartisan support for the proposition that parents should be involved in their kids’ health care decisions, in deciding what types of medical care and drugs they should be taking,” Gallagher said.
- One mother said that “parents don’t want to co-parent with the state or politicians. She argued that parents should be a part of any medical decision that affects children: “Parents know their children’s medical history. They know their family history. They know if their children are taking any current medications — they don’t ask these questions at these [vaccine] clinics.”
BACKGROUND:
- The lawmaker responsible for the bill is a 51-year-old childless Democrat and has a history of pursuing progressive causes, including those related to the LGBT agenda according to U.S. News and World Report.
- Currently in the state of California minors aged 12-17 cannot be vaccinated without permission of their parent or guardian, except for vaccines intended to protect against sexually transmitted diseases.
