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The Center Square
Flu shots to children under anesthesia raises questions about parental consent
(The Center Square) – A Chicago children's hospital is offering flu vaccines to children while they are under anesthesia for surgery or other scheduled procedures, a practice a state lawmaker and pediatric anesthesiologist says can be appropriate when parents provide informed consent. Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago announced last month that eligible patients ages 6 months and older can receive the annual flu shot while undergoing a scheduled procedure at its downtown Chicago hospital or ambulatory surgery centers in Westchester and Northbrook. According to the hospital, nurses ask parents or caregivers on the day of the procedure whether they want their child vaccinated. The hospital says the vaccine is administered only after a parent or legal guardian provides explicit consent. The announcement comes amid social media criticism of hospitals offering vaccinations to children while they are sedated or unconscious, with some questioning whether parents fully understand what they are authorizing. Illinois state Rep. Bill Hauter, R-Morton, a practicing pediatric anesthesiologist at a Central Illinois children's hospital, defended the practice, saying it can help children with autism, disabilities or severe anxiety around needles receive vaccinations without the distress of a separate appointment. "We do this and we