MEDICAL ASSOCIATION WANTS 12-YEAR-OLDS TO OVERRULE THEIR PARENTS TO GET COVID VACCINE

 

Children should be able to overrule their parents to get the Covid vaccine, a British Medical Association chief has claimed.

Dr David Strain said 12 to 15-year-olds have 'enough maturity' to decide for themselves whether to get the jab.

The co-chair of the medical body's academics added that rolling out doses to the age group could cut the spread of the virus in schools by 20 per cent.

The Government has made no secret of the fact it wants to jab kids after seeing cases spiral in Scotland when schools returned from the summer holidays. 

No10's vaccines advisory group said last week that the vaccines offered only a marginal benefit to children because they are at such low risk from the virus. 

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This left ministers in the unprecedented position where the decision on jabbing the age group was now up to Professor Chris Whitty and the three other chief medical officers (CMOs) in the devolved nations.

They will meet this week to decide whether the broader societal benefits tip the balance in favour of jabbing children, with a decision expected by Friday. 

Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said yesterday that children would be able to get the vaccine against their parents' wishes if it is made available for the age group.

Several SAGE members came out over the weekend in support of vaccinating children, questioning the advice from the JCVI — which is independent of the Government.

They argued that vaccinating children would help to head off a surge in infections later this winter when the NHS is under the greatest pressure.

But others have argued it would be ethically difficult to inoculate the age group when millions of people in poorer countries are still waiting to be vaccinated.