PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphians may have heard ads from the Department of Public Health, aimed at teenagers, telling them to bring their parents and get the COVID-19 vaccine, but the fact is they can get the vaccine without them.
Philadelphia is one of a very few places where minors don’t need parental consent for vaccines. And now that Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for anyone ages 12 and up, it has been added to the list of vaccines that adolescents in Philadelphia can get without parental notice or consent.
Dr. Julianne Burns with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health said the city wanted to make COVID-19 vaccines accessible to younger Philadelphians, now that it’s been deemed safe for them and is available in drug stores and walk-up clinics.
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"Having to have a parent or guardian right there to consent for a child could present a barrier to getting them vaccinated, and preventing them from being ill with COVID-19 and then giving that protection to our community," Burns said.
"The child may want to consent to that vaccine, sometimes against their parents’ wishes, so that regulation just empowers that adolescent to do so."
In 2007, Philadelphia revised its vaccine policy after Merck developed a vaccine for HPV, a sexually transmitted infection. There was some resistance from parents who thought it would encourage teenage sexual activity, so the Board of Health voted to let anyone over the age of 10 give their own consent for vaccines, as long as the provider was satisfied they understood all the information about it.
HPV is a precursor to cancer. They thought kids should be able to decide for themselves. A few other places did, too, including California and New York. A total of six other states have come on board, but not New Jersey, Delaware or Pennsylvania. Philadelphia is the only place in the state where kids can give their own consent.
In all jurisdictions, the provider must verify that the youth is able to give informed consent.