One federal judge has made a rule to temporarily stop the District of Columbia from enforcing a law that would allow children as young as 11 years old to get vaccinated even without the knowledge of their parents, ruling the law violated parents’ religious liberties.
According to Judge Trevor McFadden’s ruling, the Minor Consent for Vaccinations Amendment Act of 2020 (MCA) “targets religious parents.”
McFadden wrote in his ruling, “States and the District are free to encourage individuals — including children — to get vaccines.”
He added, “But they cannot transgress on the [National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act] Congress created. And they cannot trample on the Constitution.”
The law in question, the Minor Consent for Vaccinations Amendment Act of 2020, allows children as young as 11 years old to be vaccinated so long as a provider deems them capable of informed consent.
The rule had hit two separate lawsuits filed in July.
The Washington Examiner noted in a report “In one complaint, a group of parents with children enrolled in city public or charter schools argued Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser could not enforce the law because it subverts the right and duty of parents to make informed decisions about whether their children should receive vaccinations.”
The report also added, “Another lawsuit was filed by a Maryland father who said his daughter crossed state lines to enter Washington to get vaccinated without his knowledge.”
There are 42 states that require parental consent for their children before receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, North Carolina and South Carolina allows their students to be vaccinated with no consent as early as 16, Oregon is as early as 15 years old and while the youngest age without parental consent is Alabama as early as 14 years of age.
Research from the Kaiser Family Foundation reported that there are some states that do not provide specific laws related directly to COVID-19 vaccinations for minors without parental consent.
Compare to the other states, the District of Columbia MCA law presented the youngest age to receive the COVID-19 vaccine without parental consent. Though the law has not gone into effect yet, the new ruling will prevent the MCA from moving forward unless another ruling will change it.
Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz announced last month that he introduced an amendment that would stop federal funds tp schools that promote vaccinations on young children.
The Daily Wire reported that the amendment would modify the $1.6 trillion continuing resolution (CR) to fund the federal government through March 11, 2022:
“Enough is enough. It’s time to stop the petty tyrants imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates on families across the country,” Cruz said in a statement.
“No child should be denied an education because of his or her personal medical choice. Schools shouldn’t get federal taxpayer dollars to trample on our constitutional liberties. It’s time for all of us to take a stand. Are you with parents and kids, or power hungry politicians?” he added.
The amendment would restrict federal funding to “any entity, school, center or facility that imposes such a mandate,” including state and local educational agencies, public schools and charter schools, private schools, child care centers, and Head Start facilities.
Sources: Daily Wire, Washington Examiner, KHN, The Hill, Hannity
