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HomeMedico-LegalDoctor’s lobby group joins ACDP’s urgent application to halt child vaccinations

Doctor’s lobby group joins ACDP’s urgent application to halt child vaccinations

A Durban doctor’s lobby group, the Caring Healthcare Workers Coalition, has joined the African Christian Democratic Party and two other organisations to oppose the Department of Health’s (DOH) recent COVID-19 vaccine roll-out programme for children aged 12 to 17, as well as their handling of various other coronavirus-related matters.

Dr Naseeba Kathrada’s organisation, the Caring Healthcare Workers Coalition, represented by attorney Kuben Moodley of law firm Pather and Pather Attorneys, was among four applicants who recently lodged an urgent application to halt the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine roll-out for children.

The ACDP is the first applicant in the matter, which started at the Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) earlier this week (Tuesday, 11 November). Free The Children–Save the Nation and the COVID Care Alliance were the other applicants while the Minister of Health, national Health Department’s acting director and the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) are the respondents.

According to a Sunday Tribune report, Kathrada questioned the decision to vaccinate children. “The World Health Organization has said the (survival rate) of COVID-19 in the 12–17 age group is around 100%. Why on earth do you want to vaccinate?” she asked.

“They (the DOH) are saying they want to vaccinate to protect the people around the kids, which is ludicrous because a vaccinated person and an unvaccinated person can give and get COVID-19. So how is vaccinating a person going to protect people around them when they can still get infected?”

SAHPRA approved “emergency use authorisation” of the Pfizer vaccine for children on 10 September in accordance with a clause in the Medicines and Related Substances Act. The DOH rolled out the vaccine for children on 20 October. But before the jabs were administered, the ACDP requested SAHPRA and the DOH for information on how they arrived at a decision to clear the vaccine for children. They have yet to receive a response, notes the Sunday Tribune. On 8 October, Free The Children lodged an internal appeal against SAHPRA’s approval of the Pfizer vaccine. saying it was not in the best interests of the children.

Ten days later, Free the Children and the ACDP jointly sent a letter of demand to the respondents, asking for the immediate suspension of the roll-out until the appeal was finalised. The department ignored the letter and advertised that its roll-out programme would begin on 20 October. The applicants responded with their urgent application on 29 October, and the department has since indicated its intention to oppose it.

The Health Department insists vaccines save lives and it made scientific sense to vaccinate children. The department’s media relations director, Foster Mohale, said it was for this reason that SAHPRA had approved the Pfizer one dose vaccine for this age group, and why the decision was also supported by the ministerial advisory committee on vaccines. “A number of countries globally have been vaccinating children long before SA because there is scientific evidence to support that,” he said.

The Sunday Tribune report notes the department believed the court would rule in its favour because it was protecting children’s lives against a deadly pandemic. “We don’t force anyone to vaccinate because vaccination is not mandatory. It is up to the parents and guardians to act in the best interest of their children.”

SAHPRA communications manager Yuven Gounden said: “At this stage, SAHPRA cannot comment. This is now a court matter.”

 

Sunday Tribune article – Bid to stop COVID-19 jabs for children (Open access)

 

See more from MedicalBrief archives:

 

ACDP applies for interdict to halt vaccine roll-out to children aged 12-17

 

ACDP and lobby group plan application to block vaccination of children

 

FDA committee endorses Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds

 

 

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