Consent and COVID-19 Vaccination in Young People aged 12-17 years: Clinical, Legal, and Ethical Perspectives in Primary Health Care
University of Melbourne, Royal Children’s Hospital, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and Australian Catholic University
As Australia’s reported cases of COVID-19 infection crosses 11 million and over one in four positive cases are in children and young people, vaccine coverage continues to have a vital role in reducing risk of serious illness in the general population. However, only half of young people aged less than 16 years are fully vaccinated to date.
While vaccine hesitancy has been a significant feature of the COVID-19 pandemic, data suggests that young people are more likely to want to be vaccinated than older adults.
We are asking general practitioners to take a short anonymous online survey to examine the issues of vaccinating young people for COVID-19 when parental consent is unavailable or is contested.
The aim of this survey is to explore the factors surrounding this issue from the perspective of general practitioners within a general practice setting in order to scope the significance of this potential barrier to vaccination in this vulnerable population and address key gaps in doctors’ resources and support.
Disclaimer: This article was provided by Angela Ouroumis. While every effort has been made to ensure the information is accurate, North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network does not warrant or represent the accuracy, currency and completeness of any information or material included within.
