By Hajira Khota                                                                                                                                                           10.11.2021

This week, the National Health Department, the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority, and organisations opposing the Covid-19 vaccine for children will go to court.

The African Christian Democratic Party has filed documents in the Pretoria High Court seeking to stop the inoculation of children aged 12 to 17.

Last month, Health Minister Joe Phaahla announced that adolescents aged 12 to 17 could visit government and commercial immunisation facilities without their parents’ permission. The announcement has drawn mixed reactions on whether it is an appropriate decision by the government to vaccinate young people without parental consent.

The Covid Care Alliance, the Caring Healthcare Workers Coalition (CHC), the African Christian Democratic Party, Free the Children – Save the Nation, and the African Christian Democratic Party are all calling for a halt to the vaccination of children against the virus.

The party’s founder, Reverend Kenneth Meshoe, claimed in his founding document that the government was employing youngsters to form a shield to defend society from Covid-19.

Pfizer has been licensed by Sahpra to be used in the vaccination of children aged 12 to 17 against Covid-19. The vaccination is given in one dose to children and two doses to adults. 210 149 children have been vaccinated thus far.

According to Dr. Naseeba Kathrada of the CHC, there isn’t enough evidence to suggest that children should be inoculated.

“The recovery from Covid, in this age group is more than 99,9% according to the WHO themselves.”

The ACDP is seeking the court to declare an interdict prohibiting the vaccine’s distribution to children, except in cases where a doctor has provided an emergency authorisation for a kid with underlying illnesses.

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