EDITORIAL: ACDP’s fight against Covid-19 protection risks health of children
The party says in court papers that vaccines will not cut transmission, and pose a greater risk to children than Covid-19 — nothing could be further from the truth
The ACDP’s legal bid to stop the government offering Covid-19 vaccination shots to teenagers is misguided and misplaced, much like its campaign against mandatory workplace shots and vaccine passports. Not only does its high court challenge pose a time-consuming distraction for a health department battling to inoculate vulnerable adults in greater numbers ahead of a likely fourth wave of infections, but it poses a very real threat to any attempt to normalise schooling.
Children are at significantly lower risk of severe illness and hospitalisation for Covid-19 than adults, yet in many respects they have borne the brunt of the restrictions imposed by the government in its attempts to curb transmission and limit the burden on the healthcare system. They have faced school closures, bans on organised sport and leisure activities, and even under the current level 1 restrictions the majority are still missing out on vital face-to-face interaction with their teachers because the socia...
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