Should GPs vaccinate 12-year-olds against COVID-19 when their parents say no?
Paediatricians say young people can provide informed consent and the parents' wishes should be ignored
If a child gives informed consent, should a GP vaccinate a 12-year-old against COVID-19 if their parents object?
It’s a question probably facing many doctors now tasked with vaccinating children before their return to school.
For paediatrician Professor John Massie and colleagues, the answer — with some caveats — is a definite yes.
Children are not the property of their parents, they say; most do understand the risks and benefit calculations and they have a right to privacy anyway.
