Battle over parental consent for vaccines not over despite ADPH rule change

I warned parents and lawmakers that the Alabama Department of Public Health and various school districts were working to get as many kids vaccinated as possible.

It’s a no-brainer that this is what they want to do.

What was surprising is how clandestinely they were doing it.

But truthfully, I raised this issue with lawmakers and other office-holders about this matter, and lawmakers have thanked me for bringing it to light. Now, that small part of the issue has been handled.

You’re welcome.

Up until recently, the schools were providing a space for the COVID-19 vaccinations to be delivered and were vaccinating anyone 14 and over with the vaccine without even thinking about parental consent. In fact, they were doing it as a workaround to keep parents out of the conversation.

This is wrong.

And depending on which line of this al.com article you are reading, either it was solely about legislators complaining or parents “pitched a fit.”

It is probably legislators complaining because parents pitched a fit.

But framing is the problem.

Acting like the parents are somehow out of line for not wanting this vaccine, which is in its early stages, injected into their kids without their knowledge is not an absurd position.

You may notice what is actually happening here: Parents are pushing back against the government and the government doesn’t like it.

Here is a list of issues where the government employees, some unelected, have decided parents need to butt out:

• Curriculum
• Masks
• Race
• Sexual identity
• Vaccines

Unfortunately, for these government employees, parents (and all taxpayers) are the customers, and some of them are going to push back.

Lawmakers are listening. State Rep. Chip Brown (R-Mobile) has introduced legislation that would require parental consent for vaccinations.

Other lawmakers are working on potentially changing Alabama’s medical age of consent law from 14, which would be quite an unintended consequence.

State Rep. Andrew Sorrell (R-Muscle Shoals) said this morning on WVNN’s “The Dale Jackson Show” that he is introducing a bill that would do away with mask mandates in schools.

The government cannot keep pushing people like this, especially by messing with their kids against their will, without eliciting a response from parents.

And the more the government tells parents they don’t care what they think, the more upset they will get.

Look at this outrageous statement by U.S. Representative John Yarmuth (D-KY) in which he argues that parents shouldn’t have a say in their vaccination status:

One of the reasons that we need to avoid steps like this is that we need to protect kids from their parents.

Unbelievable.

Parents are tired of this, and they are speaking out.

That is why lawmakers are speaking out. It’s not the other way around.

Listen:

Dale Jackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 7-11 AM weekdays on WVNN and on Talk 99.5 from 10AM to noon.