Do children need a parent’s or guardian’s consent to get the vaccine?

Young people aged 16 and 17 can sign their own consent form and they can attend a vaccine appointment on their own if they choose. 

For those aged 12-15, it is ideal if a parent, guardian or caregiver attends the appointment with them or signs their consent form ahead of time to bring along. If the youth attends without a guardian and without a signed consent form, they can go through an informed consent process with a healthcare provider to assess their ability to consent on their own and proceed with the vaccine. This is similar to the long-established practice physicians use to assess if youth under 16 can make their own medical decisions for treatment and prescriptions.

Further Reading:
Review of Children’s Participatory Rights in Canada – Article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and Children’s Participatory Rights in Canada (justice.gc.ca) (see section F. Proceedings About Health Care)