Group sues city of Philadelphia, challenging child vaccine consent law

A group opposing childhood vaccine mandates has sued the city of Philadelphia. The lawsuit claims Philadelphia has been vaccinating minors secretly under the 2007 General Minor Consent Regulation, which allows children 11 years and older to consent to vaccination without parental knowledge. An article regarding the lawsuit questioned children's ability to comprehend vaccine risks and highlighted concerns about COVID-19 vaccines in particular. The article received positive responses on social media, where commenters shared similar efforts to sue other cities and states.

Risk level: Medium

Recommendation: While conversations about this lawsuit may not arise in a clinical setting, doctors in Pennsylvania may face questions about children and COVID-19 vaccine safety. Talking points may emphasize that the CDC recommends the updated COVID-19 vaccine for everyone six months and older. Severe adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine are extremely rare, and the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks for all age groups. Staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccines reduces the risk of COVID-19-related hospitalization, death, and long COVID.