It’s hard to keep up with what’s happening in the COVID-19 programme with everything moving so quickly. Last month we reported that 16–17-year-olds were being offered the vaccine and now, just four weeks on, 12–15-year-olds are eligible to have the vaccination.
Parents of children in this age group will understandably have questions about vaccinating their children. We encourage parents to attend the council-run webinars to ask any questions about administering the vaccine to their child or any other COVID-19-related. Simply email: [javascript protected email address] to receive upcoming webinar dates, or to ask your questions in advance.
The main points to note about 12-15-year-olds receiving the COVID-19 vaccine are:
What should I know about my child being Gillick competent?
Gillick competence relates to a court ruling that children under the age of 16 can consent to have medical treatment without their parent’s consent if they are believed to have enough intelligence, competence, and understanding to know what's involved in their treatment. This means a child can give their own consent to be vaccinated if they are deemed ‘Gillick competent”.
If a parent consents and the child refuses, and the child is seen to be Gillick competent, the child will not be given the vaccine. Likewise, if a child consents and the parents refuses and the child is seen to be Gillick competent, the child can be given the vaccine – but this won't be done in the child's school.
Find out more information about children and young people consent to treatment by clicking the link below.
