NC Supreme Court allows lawsuits over unauthorized COVID vaccines

The North Carolina Supreme Court has ruled that a mother and her son can sue a public school system and a doctors' group for allegedly administering a COVID-19 vaccine to the boy without consent, overturning previous lower court decisions that cited federal health emergency laws as a barrier. Tanner Smith, who was 14 at the time, was vaccinated at a Guilford County high school clinic in August 2021 despite expressing his refusal and lacking a signed parental consent form. The clinic staff, after failing to reach his mother, allegedly instructed another worker to proceed with the vaccination anyway. The lawsuit, filed by Emily Happel and her son, claims battery and violation of constitutional rights. In a 5-2 ruling, Chief Justice Paul Newby emphasized the significant civil liberties intrusions experienced during the pandemic, noting the clinic's actions as unacceptable. This decision paves the way for similar lawsuits against schools and medical facilities regarding unauthorized vaccinations.