Tennessee's top vaccination official is FIRED after she published memo supporting teenagers 14 and older getting COVID shots without parental permission under state's 'mature minor doctrine'

Tennessee's top vaccination official has been fired over a published memo supporting children over the age of 14 getting a COVID-19 vaccine without parental permission, the furious physician said. 

Dr Michelle Fiscus said she was presented with a letter of resignation and a letter of termination on Monday amid scrutiny from Republican state lawmakers over her department's outreach efforts to vaccinate teenagers against the virus. 

Fiscus, who was the medical director for vaccine-preventable diseases and immunization programs at the Tennessee Department of Health, chose to be fired and said she was not given a reason for her ouster.

But the expert added that she believes her termination came because she sent out information on May 10 about the mature minor doctrine, according to News Channel 5.  

Dr Michelle Fiscus was fired Monday after she published a memo supporting teenagers over the age of 14 getting a Covid-19 vaccine without parental permission

'I was told that I should have been more "politically aware" and that I "poked the bear" when I sent a memo to medical providers clarifying a 34-year-old Tennessee Supreme Court ruling,' Fiscus said. 'I am not a political operative, I am a physician who was, until today, charged with protecting the people of Tennessee, including its children, against preventable diseases like COVID-19.' 

The doctrine is a rule of law in the US and Canada arguing that an unemancipated minor may have the maturity to choose or reject health care treatment without the knowledge of their parents, and should be allowed to do so.  

Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee's administration and the Health Department declined to comment on the firing, citing personnel matters.

In a June committee meeting, Republican lawmakers criticized the letter that she was told had been 'blessed by the governor's office.'

The firing of Fiscus comes amid scrutiny from Republican state lawmakers over her department's efforts to vaccinate teenagers against COVID-19. Pictured:  Boy, 12, is given COVID jab on May 13

Tennessee has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country. Only 38 percent of the state's nearly 7 million residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. 

Republican lawmakers also admonished her agency for its communications about the vaccine, including online posts.

One graphic, featuring a photo of a smiling child with a Band-Aid on his arm, said: 'Tennesseans 12+ are eligible for vaccines. Give COVID-19 vaccines a shot.'

During the hearing, Republican Rep. Scott Cepicky held a printout of a Facebook ad touting eligibility for teens an called the agency's advocacy 'reprehensible,' likening it to peer pressure.

Asked about the hearing last month, Gov. Lee said generally that the state will 'continue to encourage folks to seek access - adults for their children, and adults for themselves to make the personal choice for vaccine.'

WHAT IS THE MATURE MINOR DOCTRINE? 

Mature minor doctrine is a legal principle which allows a minor to make decisions about his or her health and welfare, if they can show that they are mature enough to make a decision on their own. 

This prevents the usual necessity for parental consent from becoming a barrier to treatment about which children may be reluctant to inform parents. 

Not all states recognize the common-law mature-minor doctrine. 

In the states where it exists, the mature minor doctrine takes into consideration the age and situation of the minor to determine maturity, in addition to factors and conduct that can prove maturity.

 This doctrine has been consistently applied in cases where the minor is sixteen years or older, understands the medical procedure in question, and the procedure is not serious. 

Application of the doctrine in other circumstances is more questionable. 

Source: US Legal

Two weeks after the hearing, the Health Department told county-level employees to stop vaccination events aimed at teens and to halt online outreach to them, The Tennessean reported, citing emails it obtained.

Fiscus said that issues on vaccine communication first arose last fall, before the shots were federally authorized.

She said health officials asked for permission to start messaging about how COVID vaccines would be safe, effective and well-studied - which was denied.

The governor's office then controlled communication, while Fiscus added that the state's public messaging began this May.

'When the vaccines did finally become available, the messaging that came from the governor's communication team was, 'Talk to your doctor to see if COVID-19 vaccine is right for you',' Fiscus said. 

'We tried to explain that this is not a foot powder. This is the life-saving tool that we have to fight this pandemic and that we should be strongly encouraging people to get vaccinated.' 

Following the scrutiny from Republican state lawmakers, Fiscus said she was given both a resignation letter and a termination letter on Monday, but chose to be fired claiming she 'didn't do anything wrong'.

Fiscus then penned a blistering 1,200-word response to the decision in which she fumed that she is ashamed of Tennessee's leaders and afraid for her state.

'I don't think they realized how much of an advocate I am for public health and how intolerant of injustice I am,' Fiscus told The Associated Press on Tuesday. 

She said she was 'angry for the amazing people of the Tennessee Department of Health who have been mistreated by an uneducated public and leaders who have only their own interests in mind.'

Fiscus also claimed that the Tennessee Department of Health has halted all outreach efforts around any kind of vaccines for children, not just COVID ones, which  confirmed through department documents.

The decision to end vaccine outreach and school events came from Health Commissioner Dr Lisa Piercey, according to the publication.

The Health Department will still send postcards reminding adults to get their second dose of the COVID vaccine, but teenagers will be excluded from the mailing list so it is not interpreted as 'solicitation to minors.'

Tennessee's health department reportedly told county-level employees to stop vaccination events aimed at teenagers. Pictured: Woman is given COVID vaccine July 9 in Los Angeles

Some Democrats criticized the firing, with state Sen. Raumesh Akbari alleging that Fiscus was 'sacrificed in favor of anti-vaccine ideology.'

House Speaker Cameron Sexton was one of few Republicans to weigh in, saying through a spokesperson that health officials made the decision internally.

Sexton's spokesperson, Doug Kufner, said: 'While members have expressed concerns about the department's recent vaccine marketing strategy, Speaker Sexton will not speculate on the factors that went into this decision.

'However, Speaker Sexton does believe that those who have voiced their dissent agree with yesterday's outcome.'

Meanwhile, Republican state Sen. Richard Briggs, a physician, said he's unsure why Fiscus got fired, but added that 'it would be wrong if the reason for her firing was because she had a campaign to try to get our children vaccinated.'

He said he doesn't want to second-guess the department, but 'because of the way it at least looks superficially without the details being known, there probably needs to be some clarification.'