Right to Covid jab: 12-year-old boy wins court battle to get vaccinated

The world leaders and health experts are urging eligible population to get vaccinated against coronavirus as soon as possible, but children under the age of 12 are not being vaccinated in every country.

However, a 12-year-old boy from the Netherlands has won a court battle as a result of which he can now get vaccinated against coronavirus immediately.

The boy hails from the Dutch city of Groningen where eligibility for Covid vaccines is 12- to 17-year-olds. However, children under the age of 17 need to get consent from their parents to get a shot of the vaccine.

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His grandmother is suffering from metastatic lung cancer and is in the last stages of the disease which can take her life. The boy wanted to spend as much time as possible with her but the hospital officials said he would have to be vaccinated to meet her.

This boy wanted to get vaccinated against coronavirus so that he would be able to meet his grandmother. However, his father was hesitant about getting his son vaccinated as he believes the vaccines are still "in a test phase" and pose risks to reproductive organs.

The father also claimed that the vaccines can also lead to children developing symptoms of long Covid.

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However, the boy wanted to get vaccinated so he decided to file a legal suit against his father’s decision. His decision to file a lawsuit was supported by his mother — the couple is divorced.

When the case reached the court, Judge Bart Tromp of Groningen District Court ruled in favour of the 12-year-old. He said the boy should get vaccinated if he wants as his intentions are pure and were more important than his father’s hesitancy. The Judge also said that his father’s arguments against Covid vaccines had no scientific basis or proof.