A child’s decision to be vaccinated “will prevail” if there is a disagreement between the parent and young person, Sajid Javid said on Wednesday.
The health secretary told Sky News if parents “don’t give their consent” for a Covid-19 vaccine but the child still wants one there would be specialist mediation in schools available to try and find a “consensus”.
However, Mr Javid added if that process “does not work” then the child’s opinion “will prevail”, as long as health authorities are confident the young person is “competent enough to make this decision”.
The UK’s chief medical officers are currently reviewing the wider benefits of vaccinating 12 to 15-year-olds after the JCVI declined to recommend a widespread rollout on health grounds alone. Mr Javid said he expects news on their decision “in the next few days”.
Meanwhile, the vaccines minister has defended the government’s plan to bring in Covid passports for nightclubs and other venues this month – but admitted it “pained” him to introduce something which “goes against everything I believe in”.
Nadhim Zahawi said nightclubs and other crowded venues in England would be forced to require proof of two Covid jabs as a condition of entry from the end of September, but conceded he had his own reservations.
The minister suggested MPs would still get a vote on the policy, which backbenchers described as “authoritarian” and difficult for the hospitality industry to implement at such short notice.
