Measles jab despite mother’s plea

A mother, who had previously opposed haircuts and dental visits for her children, did not want them to get a measles vaccination, forcing Oranga Tamariki to turn to the court.

The two children were in the interim custody of Oranga Tamariki where permission from a parent or guardian was necessary for things like medical procedures.

Judge Anthony Mahon in the Manukau Family Court heard the application in July last year. The only way the children could be vaccinated against their mother’s wishes was for Oranga Tamariki to become their guardians. The application was done for the specific purpose of vaccinating both children.

The judge said Oranga Tamariki was anxious to get the children jabbed after the 2019 measles outbreak.

However, the mother opposed it, saying vaccines contained mercury, she was concerned about side-effects and that not vaccinating them had not led to them catching the diseases.

At the hearing in July, Oranga Tamariki brought in associate professor at the Auckland Medical School and immunisation expert Dr Helen Petousis-Harris, who said the vaccines were so safe the only side-effect of long-term risk was suffering an anaphylactic shock.

The mother questioned whether if neither of the children had contracted any of the diseases they had a resilience that made vaccination inappropriate.

Petousis-Harris said it was good luck rather than any other factor that the children had not caught the measles or any other diseases.

The mother told the court she had a degree in biblical counselling and her strongest objection to the vaccines was on religious grounds.

Judge Mahon said the mother believed anyone could read the information on the internet and reach an informed view, and she did not accept the expert’s view before her own.

‘‘In other words, the mother’s internet research, which had found multiple sources of data opposed to vaccination, meant she could have an opinion which could carry the same weight with the court as that of the expert.

‘‘She felt that her detailed internet search of articles on the issues enabled her to reach her own, equally as authoritative conclusions on the risks of immunisations for her children.’’

He said the mother was not able to provide documentary proof and from her point of view there was no risk to the children if they were not vaccinated.

The judge did not accept her opposition. ‘‘To do so would make a mockery of sciences and the place of specialist evidence in court proceedings.’’

The judge granted the application to put the children into the guardianship of the court.