California bill would let children age 12 get vaccinated without parents knowing

California Democrats have put forward a proposal that would allow children over the age of 12 to receive vaccinations without their parents' consent or even their knowledge.

The bill, SB 866, was introduced by Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener, a member of the legislature's Vaccine Work Group caucus, which according to Politico was formed to introduce legislation intended to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and combat vaccine misinformation.

Wiener's legislation would allow any child 12 or older to consent to receive any vaccine approved by the FDA and recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition to the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Pfizer, children would be able to make their own decisions about immunizations for the flu, measles, chicken pox, and other diseases without any parental say-so.

“With Covid, there are a huge number of teenagers not vaccinated — about a million — and a lot of them want to be vaccinated,” Wiener told Politico. He mentioned that teens who aren't vaccinated may be excluded from participating in sports or other extra-curricular activities.

"When these kids can’t get vaccinated, we’re preventing them from having the best possible teenage years," he said.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced a vaccine mandate for children age 12 and over last October to attend in-person classes at public or private schools in the state. The mandate will go into effect once the FDA fully approves a COVID-19 vaccine for children and removes the Emergency Use Authorization that currently enables parents to have their kids vaccinated. It is expected to take effect later th... (Read more)

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