A 12-year-old boy in the Dutch city of Groningen has won a court battle to get vaccinated against COVID-19 so that he can visit his dying grandmother, despite his father's objections, reports the BBC.
A judge ruled the jab would reduce his chances of passing on any infection to the woman, who has advanced cancer.
Judge Bart Tromp of Groningen District Court said that the boy should be vaccinated promptly because his interests were more important than the father's concerns.
Vaccines have been approved for Dutch 12-17-year-olds but under-17s need the consent of both parents. The boy’s parents are divorced, but his mother has supported his court action.
The boy said he wanted to spend as much time as possible with his grandmother, who has metastatic lung cancer and is "in the last stages of her life".
Tromp rejected arguments by the boy's father that vaccines were "in a test phase" and posed risks to reproductive organs, saying they had no scientific basis.
Dutch law says if the parents cannot agree, a judge should rule in the best interests of the child, reports the BBC.
BBC article – Netherlands Covid: Boy wins court battle for right to jab (Open access)
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