Can My Ex Object to Our Child Being Vaccinated?

By Karen Pritchard

Principal Associate

The government has recently announced that the Covid-19 vaccination will be available to children aged between 5 and 11 years. Some people are reluctant to receive the vaccination, or for their children to have it, sometimes due to concerns at the perceived speed with which the vaccine has become available.

What happens if there is a disagreement between a child’s parents about whether the child should receive the vaccination?

There are a number of ways in which parents can try to reach an agreement between themselves, such as at mediation.

It is also possible to have child-inclusive mediation, which would involve the child being able to speak directly with a mediator, who could then communicate the child’s views to the parents to help them to reach an agreement. We are able to offer child-inclusive mediation.

Where it is not possible for parents to reach an agreement, either parent could make an application to the court for a judge to make a decision. The judge will make a decision that is based on the child’s best interests. Where a vaccine has been approved by the regulator and it is otherwise in a child’s best interests to have the vaccination, the court will likely decide that the child should receive it.

For more information and to find out how we can help you, please contact us on 0345 646 0406 or fill in our online enquiry form and a member of our Team will be in touch.