Search icon

Health

24th Aug 2018

A judge has overruled a father’s request for his 5-year-old to be unvaccinated

Kate Hendrick

5-year-old

A young girl will get a series of vaccinations against her father’s wishes.

Parents of a 5-year-old girl, known as “B”, recently went to court in the UK over a disagreement about vaccinating their daughter.

B’s mother and father split in 2015. When they were together they were both in agreement that their little one would have routine immunisations.

But after they separated, B’s dad objected.

Judge Clifford Bellamy examined the facts concerning their case and decided that it was in the girl’s “best welfare interests” that she have the recommended vaccines for a child of her age.

As the parents had a previous agreement, the judge ruled in favour of B’s mother who wanted to vaccinate her child.

According to The Independent, Judge Bellamy considered B’s father’s viewpoint as “unreliable” and “at odds” with medical professionals. She wanted the public to know that his attitude did not echo a pro-vaccine stance.

B will now have three vaccinations, two of which are overdue, including the MMR and influenza vaccines, as well as one that covers diphtheria, tetanus and polio.

The immunisation of kids in the UK is not compulsory. Parents are allowed to make the decision on behalf of their children.

B’s case is the sixth that has gone to court in the UK to decide whether a minor should get vaccinations.

In each circumstance the court decided the child should receive the recommended vaccinations.