While the pandemic continues, discussions on the COVID-19 vaccine continue throughout the world as well as in our country. The vaccination issue, which is sometimes a cause of polarization in the society, can sometimes lead to solidarity and interesting developments. One of these interesting developments took place in Groningen, the Netherlands.
In the Netherlands, starting from July, children aged 12-17 can receive the COVID-19 vaccine upon parental consent, as of July. A 12-year-old boy living in the city of Groningen, who wanted to get vaccinated so as not to risk his health due to his grandmother’s lung cancer, had problems with vaccination permission because his parents were separated. The child, whose mother gave permission, but whose father did not allow for vaccination and testing, applied to the court.
Child got vaccination permission from court
The father, who did not allow his child, expressed that he was worried about the side effects and long-term results of the vaccine. Thereupon, the 12-year-old boy applied to the court to be vaccinated. The Groningen Court ruled that the Dutch child could be vaccinated despite the father’s objection.
The judge of the court stated that children are infected with the COVID-19 virus at a lower rate and with milder severity than adults, but that children infected with the virus can stay sick for a long time or their lungs can be affected by the consequences of the disease. Stating that the risk of infecting the disease to others is lower for vaccinated people, the judge stated that he welcomed the child’s choice for this reason. The Dutch child can be vaccinated without waiting for the appeal decision.