Hard Rock Tribal Tattoo

Hard Rock Tribal Tattoo

Question: Do I need parental consent to get Gardasil?

I am 15 and would like to get the Gardasil shot, but my mom is against it. Do I need parental consent to get Gardasil at a clinic?

Answer: Parental consent to receive health care, even preventative health care like vaccines, falls under each state's legislature. Depending on what state you live in, you may or may not need your mom's permission to get Gardasil. Most states, however, do require parental consent for any vaccine, not just Gardasil.

I would suggest that you consider talking to your mother about why it is important to you to get the vaccine. It is unclear why she does not support the vaccine, but addressing her concerns may help in persuading her to allow you to to Gardasil. Otherwise, your only alternative would be to wait until you turned 18, when parental consent is no longer needed. I applaud that you are only 15 and are already proactive in your health care and well-being.