LITTLETON, Colo. (KDVR) — Two Littleton parents are outraged after their sons were allowed to sign up for COVID-19 vaccines at an on-campus clinic without having to prove they obtained proper permission.
The students said they were not asked for a note when their parents were not present at Heritage High School. The clinic, held between 3-7 p.m., was staffed by employees from Jogan Health, a contractor with the Colorado Department of Public Health.
“Every parent loves their child,” parent Ewan Tallentire said. “Why would you try to subvert that and say the parent has absolutely no right to decide and determine what gets done with their children?”
State health officials told the FOX31 Problem Solvers that a parent must appear in person or provide permission for a minor to receive a vaccine in writing or over the phone.
Littleton Public Schools issued a statement explaining it does not condone vaccinations without a parent’s permission, adding, “We incorrectly assumed that all vaccination clinics in Colorado followed the same vaccination protocol as Children’s Hospital, requiring a parent to be present during a vaccination.”
The statement adds that the district was informed by Tri-County Health Department that the State of Colorado does not require minors to be accompanied by a parent or guardian as long as parental consent is obtained.
The school district said it will no longer provide locations for COVID vaccine clinics.
Health officials are looking into the case and told FOX31 that identification is not required in order to get a vaccine to allow everyone in the community to have access to protection against COVID-19.