Covid-19: Medical Decisions, Mandates, and High-Risk Minors.

ABSTRACT

Kensey Dishman was unvaccinated when she contracted Covid-19 at thirteen years old. She also had asthma and is now dead. Her divorced parents disagreed about whether Kensey should be vaccinated, and her father suggested that it was Kensey's own choice to refuse vaccination. This situation is as complicated as it is tragic, and it raises a number of legal and ethical issues regarding medical decision-making for minors, parental rights, vaccination mandates, and individual freedom versus government interests in protecting minors as well as public health. This commentary explores these issues and highlights potential sources of liability for those involved in Kensey's treatment decisions given her high-risk for complications from Covid-19.