A girl has been ordered to get her Covid jab after her lawyer mum asked a court to overrule her scientist dad's refusal to vaccinate the child.
A judge in upstate New York has ruled that attorney Jeannie Figer is permitted to vaccinate her 11-year-old child despite her dad's reluctance.
Scientist Donald Figer - who has been jabbed - didn't want her to have the shot due to a lack of studies into the long-term side effects of the vaccine on children.
The legal papers say the dad works as a scientist and college professor at "one of the area's premier institutions", DailyMail.com reports.
At Monroe County Supreme Court, Judge Richard Dollinger, said that the dad's plan to wait for research could put the girl at risk.
In his ruling, he said: "'Waiting — to be 'sure,' as the father asks — is simply untenable, when the specter of a killing or incapacitating disease is swirling in the environment surrounding this young girl.
"Scientists may never catch up to this ever-evolving and elusive virus and variants."
He also said he was baffled why an "accomplished scientist" would "oppose a child vaccine" which has been approved and authorised by US authorities and "universally encouraged" by other health officials.
Jeannie was ordered to arrange a jab for as soon as possible. It's unknown whether the girl attended an appointment after the ruling.
The judge added that Covid cases in Monroe County are currently surging.
The area has had the second-highest rolling seven-day average of infections daily since November 22.
Dollinger also noted concerns about the Omicron strain after cases were detected in the area.
.png?w=600)
