Make-A-Wish refuses to grant wishes to unvaccinated children

The announcement was made by Make-A-Wish president and CEO Richard Davis in a viral video explaining the charitable foundation's new policy:

"Over the past year, we spent each day at Make-A-Wish preparing for the moment when every possible wish could possibly move forward," Davis states in the video clip. "We've approached this responsibility with a focus and diligence for your family's health and safety."

"Now we've consulted with doctors and medical professionals throughout the National Medical Advisory Council. We've been monitoring public health organizations like the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics," he says.

Davis then states that the foundation will "resume granting air-travel wishes within the United States and its territories, as well as granting wishes involving large gatherings for vaccinated wish families, as soon as Sept. 15, 2021. All wish participants, including your wish kid and any siblings, will need to be two weeks past completion of either a one-dose or a two-dose vaccine."

Make-A-Wish stopped granting wishes involving air travel at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020. The CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccination for anyone 12 years of age and older. On May 10, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to include adolescents as young as 12 years old.

While the foundation will not require proof of vaccination, it will need all adults to sign a "letter of understanding that certifies that they and any minors participating in the wish are vaccinated and fully understand the risks of traveling at this time."

At no point in the video can Davis be found explaining what would be the protocol for terminally ill children who are unable to get the COVID-19 vaccine for legitimate medical reasons. The WHO website reads: "Children and adolescents tend to have milder disease compared to adults, so unless they are part of a group at higher risk of severe COVID-19, it is less urgent to vaccinate them than older people, those with chronic health conditions and health workers."

"More evidence is needed on the use of the different COVID-19 vaccines in children to be able to make general recommendations on vaccinating children against COVID-19," the health agency states.