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Date Published: 14/09/2021
ARCHIVED - Barcelona court allows mother to vaccinate children against their father's wishes
The pioneering decision overruled the demand of the Barcelona father that his children not receive the Covid vaccine
A court in Barcelona has given the go-ahead to a mother to vaccinate her two children against coronavirus despite the express wishes of the father. This is one of the first times that a court in Spain has made a decision on the vaccination of minors when divorced parents fail to agree on the health needs of their children.
The court heard that the father had become deeply mistrustful of Covid vaccines through information he gleaned from social media and the internet, and refused to allow his children, aged 15 and 16, to get the jab or be subjected to any coronavirus testing at school. He had also convinced the children themselves that it was unwise to get vaccinated.
However, Judge Eva Atares presiding over the Court of First Instance insisted that it was in the best interests of the youngsters, and of society as a whole, that they be vaccinated, as the suggested side-effects pale in comparison to the risks associated with becoming infected with coronavirus.
In May of this year, the Provincial Court of Barcelona made a similar ruling against a father who did not want his child vaccinated, and while the situation is unusual the Spanish Association of Family Lawyers (AEAFA) recently warned that the coronavirus pandemic will continue to throw up such disputes. For this reason, the association has called for a specialised jurisdiction in Family, Minors and Disabilities so that cases can be resolved within 15 to 20 days to avoid putting anyone’s health at risk.
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