Teens aged 14 to 17 can get vaccinated for the novel coronavirus without parental consent, a bid by the government to encourage vaccination among the age group and ultimately reach herd immunity.
The health ministry directed that 12 to 17-year-olds can get inoculated with the Pfizer vaccine, with only 12 and 13-year-olds needing parental consent while the 14 to 17 age group can give consent themselves and get jabbed.
Executive director in the health ministry Ben Nangombe said children and adolescents falling under this group are encouraged to get vaccinated.
“The vaccine is administered in two doses. Each dose is 0.3 ml. The second dose is given 21 days after the first dose,” he stated.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended the Pfizer vaccine, and deemed it suitable for use by persons 12 and older.
“Namibia welcomed this scientific breakthrough, and decided to expand vaccination eligibility to children and adolescents aged 12 to 17 years old,” added Nangombe.
The director of the Legal Assistance Centre Toni Hancox said the directive is correct in terms of Namibian law, and there is nothing wrong with it.
“It is clear that if the child has sufficient maturity and mental capacity to understand the benefits, risks and implications, then he/she can give consent,” she observed.
Chapter 15 of the Child Care and Protection Act of 2015 deals with the protective measures in respect of children, and Part One particularly looks at the protective measures relating to the health of children.
The Act states that despite any law to the contrary, a child may consent to medical intervention in respect of himself or herself if they are 14 years of age or older.
Furthermore, a child may consent to the performance of a surgical operation on himself or herself if they are 14 years of age or older; when a medical practitioner concerned is satisfied that the child is of sufficient maturity and has the mental capacity to understand the benefits, risks and implications of the surgical operation; and the child is duly assisted by his or her parent or guardian, or if the child does not have a parent or a guardian, by the child’s caregiver.
A child who is a parent and who is competent to consent to medical intervention or surgical operation in respect of himself or herself in terms of sub-section 1 is also competent to consent to medical intervention or surgical operation in respect of his or her child.
Steven Bernardus Harageib from the One Economy Foundation (ONE) and a social worker by profession said because young people are equally at risk of contracting the virus like adults, it is imperative they get vaccinated.
“If a broader demographic is vaccinated, it is going to help us curb the outbreak as far as possible,” he noted.
Harageib added that in their #BeFree engagements with learners, they have had conversations about the importance of getting vaccinated.
“The issue is not around information; the problem when it comes to Covid-19 is the level of attack on the information as it comes. You find people giving all kinds of information, fake news, and then you get the mainstream form of communication which is always equally clouded by other information,” he continued.
Although the 14-to-17-year-olds’ vaccination status lies in their hands, parents will always somehow influence their decisions based on what is out there. Hence, Harageib said it is important for parents to make sure they have access to the right information, and support their children in getting vaccinated.
“Don’t go to your next-door neighbour. They are not experts when it comes to your lungs. Go to your doctor. We need to amplify creditable voices and platforms, and give them more opportunity to cut through some of the noise that comes as a result of disinformation,” he stressed. - psiririka@nepc.com.na