The worst thing about antivaxers is that their ignorant choices mean consequences not just for themselves (which would low key be fine), but potentially for everyone. The people that suffer the most are the children of antivaxers, who have the vital safety precaution withheld from them without their own opportunity to know better.
This explains why there is actually a whole genre of Reddit posts from minors calling out for answers on how to get vaccinated without the consent or knowledge of their antivaxer parents or guardian.
There’s a whole genre of Reddit posts where teens ask how to get vaccinated without their parents consenting.
Just. Just so you know, that’s a thing.
— Andrea Phillips (@andrhia) January 25, 2019
Like a flu vaccine?
— Terry Price (@soonerprices) January 26, 2019
Unfortunately no, these kids are looking for the MMR and DTP shots that infants get.
— Andrea Phillips (@andrhia) January 26, 2019
Literally, you can find numerous posts on Reddit that are very serious requests for advice on how to slyly get vaccinated, and it’s quite uplifting to see that the ignorance is not always passed on to offspring. There is enough awareness being raised so that these young adults are having independent thought from what their parents have decided is right.
The initiative shown by these minors is extensive and their concern for their own health is just another reminder that opposition to vaccination only has negative consequences. This 15-year-old’s research into his legal rights, for example, is seriously impressive.
The good news is that there are equally a lot of people online giving these kids/young adults good advice that can actually help them. From warning of the dangers of faking a parent’s signature to suggesting where to go and who to talk to, crucial guidance is luckily being provided through these online forums.
The problem of course is that these unregulated forums like Reddit can not guarantee that the responses are helpful, or verified advice. It seems that there needs to be an official process for this situation, as there are clearly minors who want to protest the decisions of their antivaxer parents, and they should have that right.