How the anti-vaccine movement pits parental rights against public health – The Daily News Online

Gayle Borne has fostered more than 300 children in Springfield, Tennessee. Shes cared for kids who have rarely seen a doctor kids so neglected that they cannot speak. Such children are now even more vulnerable because of a law Tennessee passed last year that requires the direct consent of birth parents or legal guardians for every routine childhood vaccination. Foster parents, social workers, and other caregivers cannot provide permission.

In January, Borne took a foster baby, born extremely premature at just over 2 pounds, to her first doctors appointment. The health providers said that without the consent of the childs mother, they couldnt vaccinate her against diseases like pneumonia, hepatitis B, and polio. The mother hasnt been located, so a social worker is now seeking a court order to permit immunizations. We are just waiting, Borne said. Our hands are tied.

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Excerpt from:

How the anti-vaccine movement pits parental rights against public health - The Daily News Online