In a recent ruling, the Vermont Supreme Court has stated that a school district cannot be held liable for administering a COVID-19 vaccine to a young child against the explicit instructions of the parents.
The case began when a 6-year-old child received a dose of the Pfizer vaccine at a clinic hosted by the Windham Southeast School District and the Vermont Department of Health, despite the parents informing the school that their child was not to be vaccinated.
The school allegedly acknowledged the parents’ orders but still proceeded with the vaccination. The district later apologized to the parents but the child was withdrawn from the school.
The parents filed a lawsuit in September 2022, but the court dismissed the case, citing the Federal Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act) that grants immunity to the defendants.
The court ruled that all defendants in the case are protected from litigation under this law. Therefore, the parents’ case cannot proceed. While the parents were not convinced by the district’s apology, the court’s ruling has brought an apparent end to the legal saga.
