Kids don’t need permission to get vaccine

CHILDREN between the ages of 12 and 17 will from Wednesday be eligible to be vaccinated. And they don’t permission from their parents.

Yesterday, Health Minister Joe Phaahla announced that from October 20, children will be able to receive a dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine.

He told a media briefing that this was following advice from the Ministerial Advisory Committee, which advised that those in the 12-17 age group should only be given a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine. This was a precautionary measure as there had been a few cases of myocarditis – the inflammation of the heart muscle – in teenage boys.

“At this stage there’s been no indication that the first dose has any serious side effects so for now it will be just one, but we believe it will still offer significant protection and once more information comes we will offer the second dose. The timing of the second dose will be informed by further information,” the health minister said.

The department’s acting director-general, Dr Nicholas Crisp, said vaccinations would not take place at schools.

“For this period of the national vaccination programme children can be vaccinated at all public and private vaccination sites just like everyone else,” he said.

For some, though, the minister’s announcement brought anger.

“It’s ridiculous,” said parent *Ruwayda Fredericks, when she heard the news. “Kids need our permission for everything else, so why not to get vaccinated? I am offended that government can simply say to children to go get vaccinated. Never mind what your parents say. Never mind that they are the ones who support you with everything else. I will not allow this.”

Another parent, *Sam Kinnear, said he would go as far as to refuse his children permission, even if they asked him for permission.

“I will not be told what to do in my own home. There isn’t enough research to show that the vaccines are safe for children. We don’t even know if it is safe for adults.”

“It’s a very important step that the government has taken and we applaud them,” said Lynne Cawood, director of Childline’s Gauteng branch.

“They probably don’t need it as much as the older people do, but it will ensure that their parents are not exposed to Covid-19 and they will live longer,” said Cawood, adding that South Africans can’t afford another generation of millions of orphans, as was seen during the HIV/Aids pandemic.

Cawood said however that it was important that children received the consent of their parents.

*Not their real names.

NEXT week, the next cohort in the government’s drive to vaccinate the nation becomes eligible. It’s an important group – the 12 to 17-year-olds; they’ll be next year’s high school population all the way to matric.

But it raises an intriguing issue:

What happens to the children of parents who are profoundly anti-vaxx?

It’s perhaps the only reason why it’s a pity that the vaccination programme is not being extended to schools but only being rolled out at existing points which might limit access if vaccine-hesitant parents refuse to take them there. The good news, of course, is that if they can encourage their parents to take them to those vaccination centres – or just let them go and get jabbed – maybe they’ll encourage their parents to get the jab, too. Opening vaccinations to this age group is a big step forward in the war to get everyone vaccinated and the ongoing battle against anti-vaxxers, especially since parental consent is not necessary because the Children’s Act allows these children to give their own consent.

If we are to have any hope of turning the tide on Covid-19, and most importantly preventing people from having to be intubated or even dying, it is essential that everyone gets vaccinated.

Initially our problem was that South Africa did not have enough vaccines, now we do but people are choosing not to do so.

With the successful launch of the Department of Health’s vaccination passport in recent weeks, it is becoming incumbent on the government to seriously consider introducing restrictions on movement and access for people who refuse to get vaccinated.

They have every right to remain unvaccinated, but those of us who have been vaccinated have every right to be protected from coming into contact with them.

Let the un-vaxxed stay at home this Christmas season, while the rest of us get on with our lives.