The state Legislature is considering one way to get COVID-19 vaccination rates up among kids — by allowing teens 14 and older to give their own consent for certain vaccines. New Jersey is one of 40 states that require parental consent for vaccination of minors under the age of 18. That’s not sitting well with some teenagers.
Polls show that many parents are still holding off on getting their kids vaccinated against the coronavirus out of worries about potential side effects, among other things. Yanira Pyroll is a high school student from Union County whose parents are included in that group. NJ Spotlight News recently spoke with her about why she’s advocating for lawmakers to change the consent rules. Pyroll said, “…it’s left in the hands of parents and guardians to decide whether kids my age … should be vaccinated. [That] basically says that our opinion about our health doesn’t matter.”
