; and (B) people with certain pre-existing conditions such as bleeding disorders and women who are pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or breastfeeding. (35) Because of potential risks that the vaccine poses to certain people, it is important that every patient is able to consult his or her doctor to determine whether one of the COVID–19 vaccines and booster shots is appropriate for that patient. (36) Consistent with fundamental human rights, and medical and legal ethics and proper standards of medical care, every American has the right to informed consent with respect to medical treatment, meaning that he or she has a right to be fully informed about the nature of his or her health care and to participate in and voluntarily make decisions related to his or her care. In addition, every patient has a right to medical privacy to expect that the decisions and nature of care will be kept confidential by his or her health care provider and anyone who has access to the individual’s medical records, including vaccination records. (37) At various times in history, governments and medical professionals have violated these and other inherent rights, including by coercing patients, failing to properly inform patients of, or even intentionally being deceptive with patients about, their rights and the risks inherent with various medical procedures, experiments, and studies, including the Tuskegee syphilis experiments, forced sterilization, lobotomy procedures, electro-shock therapy, certain psychological studies, collection and utilization of individuals’ cells and parts of their body, or from fetal tissue of a patient’s offspring, without knowledge or consent, and eugenics laws. (38) The absence of informed consent not only constitutes a violation of medical ethics and standards of care, in some cases, treatment may also constitute a crime, such as battery. (39) Criminal battery stemming from violations of medical ethics and informed consent standards have led to a significant degree of distrust of the government, public