Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust has produced a leaflet which tells young people that if they book a Covid vaccination appointment their parents will not be asked to give consent or even notified of their child’s decision. The Telegraph has the story.
A leaflet produced by the Trust asks: “Are you 12-15 years-old, living in Sussex, and want your Covid jab?” It invites children to get in touch if they have not yet been vaccinated, but would still like to have one.
“We will not usually inform your parents, teachers or anyone else if you contact us,” the pamphlet says. “We might inform someone if we were concerned about your safety but we would usually speak to you first.”
Children are invited to send a text message to a phone number and told they will be rung back with “confidential advice and support about how to get [vaccinated] in the catch-up clinics being set up across Sussex”.
Family groups have criticised the leaflet saying it is not appropriate for children to be encouraged to go behind their parents’ backs.
Molly Kingsley, Co-Founder of the parent campaign group UsForThem, said: “The choice about whether to vaccinate children absolutely must be left to parents. Children are not state property.
“The parents we represent feel incredibly strongly that this is not a matter for any arm of the state to get involved in. It is a private matter between parents and their children.”
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