CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Teenagers in South Carolina may soon need a parent's permission to get the COVID-19 vaccine as part of a new bill that's moving through the state senate.
Sen. Brian Adams, the primary sponsor of Senate Bill 838, says the goal is to prevent school districts from vaccinating kids without parents' consent but critics say it will prevent some teenagers from getting the vaccine.
Neither South Carolina nor North Carolina requires 16- and 17-year-olds to get parental permission before they get the shot. A medical consultant for South Carolina's Department of Health says it's pretty standard to let older teens make their own decisions about getting vaccinated.
"In most cases, individuals 16 years of age are able to make informed decisions about being vaccinated and we already do this for routine vaccinations," said Dr. Jonathan Knoche with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC).
The proposal in South Carolina still has a ways to go, as it's only gotten through one of the first few steps. Next would be a Senate vote before it would head to the House and finally, if approved by both chambers, a signature from the governor.
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Contact Rachel Lundberg at rlundberg@wcnc.com or follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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