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VERIFY: Minors need parental consent to get COVID-19 vaccine in Texas

Parental consent is required for the vaccination of children in this age group. Consent may be given verbally or in writing.

HOUSTON — The VERIFY team is getting a lot of questions about COVID-19 vaccines and teens. For example, can they get a shot without their parents’ permission?

Going back to school this fall comes with some added tasks to tack on to the typical supply list, such as masks, sanitizers, wipes, and for some, the COVID-19 vaccine.

Right now, children 12 years and older are eligible for the Pfizer vaccine. Some parents have taken to social media saying they don’t want their kids to get the shot. But is it up to them?

Bernard asked the VERIFY team, “Is it true that minors between 12-17 years do not need parental consent to get COVID vaccine? 

We have two sources for this: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Texas Department of State Health Services.

To date, at least 41 states require parental consent for minors under the age of 18 to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Texas is one of them.

The DSHS tells the VERIFY team, “Parental consent is required for the vaccination of children in this age group. Consent may be given verbally or in writing; the parent or guardian does not need to be present for the adolescent to be vaccinated, unless required by the vaccine provider.”

So whether or not minors need parental consent to get the COVID-19 vaccine depends on where you live. But in Texas, you do need parents’ permission.

Some cities and states are moving to allow minors to get the shot without parental consent. San Francisco, Calif. and Philadelphia, Penn. are two of them.

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