The Court of Appeals of Talca has taken action in a case that highlights the conflict between parents’ personal beliefs and public health.
According to what the court ruling says, It all started on February 12, 2024, when a mother entered the Lircay Clinic to give birth.
From the beginning, expressed her rejection of her newborn daughter receiving any type of vaccine, a decision she had firmly maintained throughout her pregnancy.
He The clinic’s medical team, following health protocols, tried unsuccessfully to convince the mother of the importance of vaccinating her baby.highlighting the benefits of immunizations and the risks of not administering them.
Furthermore, the ruling emphasizes that despite the staff’s efforts, the mother He signed documents on February 13 where he refused the vaccination, citing an allergic reaction to vaccines on the part of the father as the main reason.
Specific vaccines that the mother refused for her daughter include the BCG vaccine, which protects against all forms of tuberculosis, and the hepatitis B vaccine.
The latter is especially crucial since protects against liver infection that can lead to chronic diseases, cirrhosis and even liver cancer.
It should be noted that since 2005, the Ministry of Health has included the hepatitis B vaccine in the National Immunization Program, and since April 2019 It is part of the vaccination schedule immediately after birth.
Given the mother’s firm refusal, the Lircay Clinic decided to intervene judicially, taking the case to the Court of Appeals of Talca.
The court ruled in favor of vaccination of the newborn, citing the best interests of the child and the need to protect both his health and that of the community.
The ruling emphasized that, Although medical decisions about children should normally be made by their parents, there are exceptions when the child’s health and public health are at risk.
The Court of Talca authorized the vaccination and ordered the Regional Ministerial Secretariat of Health of Maule to ensure that the inoculation is complied with. Furthermore, in a preventive move, it was ordered to send the records to the Talca Family Court to evaluate whether there are further violations of the girl’s rights.
