News Archive
Professor Silverman Article on Adolescent Consent and Vaccines Appears in New England Journal of Medicine
06/07/2019
Should adolescent decision-making be a factor in vaccinations?
IU McKinney Professor of Public Health and Law Ross D. Silverman and coauthors argue in favor in an article, "Vaccination over Parental Objection — Should Adolescents Be Allowed to Consent to Receiving Vaccines?" published online yesterday by the New England Journal of Medicine.
State laws, health care providers, and public health systems should accommodate adolescent decision making (beginning at age 12-14) concerning vaccination, especially in circumstances where parent opposition is not founded in science or medical contraindication, according to the article.
Parental involvement in vaccination decisions remains important, and many vaccine-hesitant parents ultimately agree to vaccination, Professor Silverman stated.
Allowing adolescents to consent to vaccination despite persistent parental resistance facilitates access to a medically recommended and evidence-based treatment. It promotes the minor’s health, poses minimal personal risk, and offers substantial pro-social benefits, including reinforcement of the norm of vaccination and enhancement of community protection against the spread of dangerous and costly yet preventable diseases, according to Professor Silverman.
In addition to teaching at IU McKinney, Professor Silverman, JD, MPH, is professor of health policy and management at the IU Fairbanks School of Public Health in Indianapolis.
