BOSTON COMBINED RESIDENCY PROGRAM, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, USA.
HARVARD COMBINED INTERNAL MEDICINE/PEDIATRICS PROGRAM, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, USA.
J Law Med Ethics. 2024;52(1):52-61. doi: 10.1017/jme.2024.43. Epub 2024 May 31.
This paper challenges historically preconceived notions surrounding a minor's ability to make medical decisions, arguing that federal health law should be reformed to allow minors with capacity as young as age 12 to consent to their own Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC)-approved COVID-19 vaccinations. This proposal aligns with and expands upon current exceptions to limitations on adolescent decision-making. This analysis reviews the historic and current anti-vaccination sentiment, examines legal precedence and rationale, outlines supporting ethical arguments regarding adolescent decision-making, and offers rebuttals to anticipated ethical counterarguments.
本文挑战了围绕未成年人做出医疗决策能力的历史成见，主张改革联邦卫生法，允许有能力的 12 岁以下未成年人自行同意接种经美国疾病控制与预防中心（CDC）批准的 COVID-19 疫苗。这一建议符合并扩大了目前对青少年决策限制的例外情况。本分析回顾了历史和当前的反疫苗情绪，审查了法律先例和基本原理，概述了支持青少年决策的相关伦理论点，并对预期的伦理反驳进行了反驳。
