Several conditions must be met to be vaccinated when you are between 12 and 17 years old. – Andreea Alexandru / AP / SIPA
- The vaccination of 12-17 year olds begins this Tuesday, in France.
- Several conditions must be met for this to be possible.
- “20 Minutes” takes stock of the opening of vaccination for teenagers.
Not as easy as for adults. From Tuesday, vaccination will be open in France to all minors of 12 and 17 years old. A new major step in the vaccination campaign undertaken by the government which hopes to vaccinate the greatest number of citizens by the start of the school year in September. Unlike the vaccination of adults, that of minors requires meeting several conditions. 20 minutes make the point.
Is the consent of one or both parents necessary?
As the Director General of Health Jérôme Salomon said on Monday on RTL, “both parents” must give their consent so that their child can be vaccinated. To do this, they must download, print and sign an available certificate.
on the website of the Ministry of Health. It will be collected and stored by the healthcare professional. In the event of the absence of one of the two parents, the General Directorate of Health (DGS) explains to 20 minutes that “the parent present completes the certificate and undertakes on the honor to have previously obtained the consent of the absent parent and co-holder of parental authority”. On the other hand, it does not specify the procedure to be followed in the event that one of the two parents has vanished into the wild.
The exception applies “for young people at high risk of severe form of Covid-19 due to a pathology from which they are affected”, specifies the DGS. In this case, the consent of only one of the two holders of parental authority is necessary to administer the vaccine. “Indeed, according to the case law of the Council of State of October 4, 2019, the recommended vaccination, whose individual risk benefit for the young person is assessed favorably by a health professional, can be considered as a usual act of the parental authority, and therefore subject to the authorization of only one of the two holders of parental authority, ”argues the instance.
Does the adolescent have a say?
Yes and not just a little. First of all, in accordance withrecommendations of the National Consultative Ethics Committee June 8, 2021, all minors 12 years of age and over must receive, during the preparatory interview for vaccination, “clear information appropriate to their age on the uncertainties related to the disease, on the vaccine itself and about its effectiveness in the medium and long term, ”says the DGS.
Then, even if the parents ardently wish to have their teenager vaccinated, if the latter does not wish to resort to it, out of personal conviction or simply to stand up to them, it is up to him to have the last word. The administration of the vaccine is indeed “conditional on the free and informed consent of the minor concerned”, writes the DGS in a document addressed to health professionals. Unlike the parental agreement, this consent does not require a written commitment and “must be obtained orally, during the preparatory interview for the vaccination”.
Can minors go to be vaccinated alone?
While it is not necessary for both parents to be there, “the presence of only one parent” is mandatory during vaccination, says Jérôme Salomon on RTL. The parent present, in addition to providing the written certificate, must “undertake on the honor that the parent co-holder of parental authority has given his authorization”.
Which document to bring?
Please note, even if minors over 16 have a vital card in their name, they must present the vital card of one of their parents or a certificate of entitlement mentioning the social security number of one of their parents. “This precaution is necessary to ensure the correct filling of the Covid Vaccine tool”, specifies the DGS.
Where to vaccinate adolescents?
Due to the too short time before the start of the summer vacation, vaccinations will not be done in schools, colleges or high schools. As with adults, you will have to go to a vaccination center.
For the time being in France, only the Pfizer vaccine is authorized for minors. “The marketing authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been modified to allow the vaccination of children from 12 years of age,” explains the DGS.
Are there any exceptions?
Vaccination is open to all minors between 12 and 17 years of age “with the exception of adolescents who have developed pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome (PIMS) following infection with SARS-CoV-2, for whom the vaccination is not recommended (in application of the opinion of June 11, 2021 of the Orientation Council for the vaccination strategy) ”, indicates the DGS. It is therefore best to seek advice from the attending physician.