Court of Appeal upholds ruling on vaccination of children in care of local authorities

The Court of Appeal has refused an appeal by parents over whether a local authority can make arrangements for the vaccination of children in its care, in the face of parental opposition, under its statutory powers or whether it is required to seek declaratory relief from the High Court to authorise their actions.

Alison Grief, Chris Barnes and Harry Langford of 4 Paper Buildings appeared for the respondent local authority.

The set said the Court of Appeal decision “reflects a sea change in the approach to the vaccination of children in local authority care overturning an earlier line of authority that treated vaccination as a ‘grave’ and ‘serious’ issue”.

Upholding the decision of Hayden J in Re T (A Child) [2020] EWHC 220 (Fam) the Court of Appeal announced that they were refusing the appeal with reasons to follow.

4 Paper Buildings said: “The decision empowers local authorities to take responsible decisions regarding vaccination for the vulnerable children in their care and no longer requires the involvement of Courts where parental objections don’t reflect the child’s interests or any reasoned basis not to vaccinate.”