CNN
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A critically ill 6-month-old baby is in temporary custody in New Zealand’s High Court after her parents refused to undergo life-saving heart surgery using blood from people vaccinated against the novel coronavirus. placed below.
Judge Ian Gort, who ruled Wednesday, ruled that the boy, whose identity cannot be identified for legal reasons, will remain in the court’s custody until he recovers from surgery.
The court also appointed two doctors as agents to oversee matters related to surgery and blood administration, according to court documents.
The baby has a congenital heart defect and will need emergency open heart surgery to survive, but the surgery will only use blood from donors who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19 due to the parents’ insistence. Postponed.
The incident draws attention to the impact of vaccine misinformation that occurred two years before the global vaccination campaign.
According to the ruling, the baby’s parents believed that “there are spike proteins in the blood of people who have been vaccinated, and that these proteins are causing unexpected transfusion-related deaths.”
The parents had previously requested the New Zealand Blood Service to donate blood from a person chosen by the family, but the agency refused, saying it did not distinguish between vaccinated and unvaccinated donors.
The court heard that Dr. Kirsten Finucane, chief pediatric heart surgeon at Starship Hospital in Auckland, told parents that “having a designated donor is simply unrealistic.”
Finucane consulted with other experts and found that a heart bypass without blood or blood products was not an option for the baby’s surgery, the court heard.
Health New Zealand filed an application under the Child Care Act in November to appoint a doctor to act as temporary guardian for the baby’s medical care, as parents and doctors cannot agree to the infant’s treatment and blood transfusion. requested the court. care only.
In a statement, the parents’ attorney, Sue Gray, said they spent “hours” weighing their options after the court’s ruling and concluded “there is no time to appeal.”
“The priority for the family is to spend time calmly with the baby and to support the baby during surgery,” she said.
Following the court’s ruling, Dr Mike Shepard, interim director of New Zealand Health Services in Auckland, said the decision was “always made with the best interests of the child in mind”.
“We acknowledge the court’s decision following the baby’s surgery application and recognize that this is a difficult situation for all involved,” Shepard said in a statement.
According to New Zealand’s Department of Health, Covid-19 vaccination coverage is relatively high, with around 90% of those aged 12 and over receiving two doses of the vaccine, and more than 70% of eligible adults receiving the first dose. I am vaccinated.
