With the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine now widely available for Americans over the age of five, parents may be concerned about vaccinating their children. As many New Jersey parents share custody of their children, they may discuss whether or not they wish to vaccinate their children with the COVID-19 vaccine. Many parents have complex feelings about the vaccine, which can influence their decision on vaccinating their child and may differ from their former spouse’s opinions.
Discuss Your Options
When determining whether or not to vaccinate your child, you should have a discussion with their other parent regarding the vaccination. As parents that have joint legal custody of your child, you will need to make medical decisions together or the court will need to decide for you.
When discussing whether or not to vaccinate your child, you should meet their parent in a neutral location and try to discuss the subject calmly. Try not to raise your voice or become argumentative and stick to the facts when discussing the vaccine. If your child is a teenager, you may choose to take their preference into account, however, you should not base your entire decision on your child’s preference.
If you and your former spouse do decide to vaccinate your child to protect against COVID-19, you should also discuss
- Where the vaccine will be given,
- Which parent will go with your child to get vaccinated for both the first and second shots, and
- How you will prepare to care for your children if they experience side effects of the vaccine.
With this game plan, both you and your child’s other parent can prepare for your child’s upcoming vaccination.
If You Cannot Come to An Agreement
If you are unable to create an agreement regarding your child’s vaccination status, then you may need to take this issue to the court. With the help of a family law attorney, you will present to the judge, who will then make the decision on if your child will be vaccinated against COVID-19. We recommend that you try to work out a peaceful resolution with your child’s other parent, as taking this decision to the court should be an option of last resort.
Child Custody Attorneys
If you and your former spouse are unable to agree on whether or not to vaccinate your child against COVID-19, reach out to the child custody lawyers at DeTommaso Law Group, LLC. Our lawyers have extensive experience in litigating complex issues such as vaccination and will fight for your parental rights in the courtroom.
If you are in a complex situation where you are unable to decide if your child will be vaccinated against COVID-19, call our child custody lawyers today at (908) 274-3028 or contact us online to set up an initial consultation.