I don't want my child getting vaccinated at school

Apr 03, 2023

Declining Consent may not be enough

Parents with children in a UK school will soon encounter the routine of vaccinations being administered in school. A vaccination provider such as the NHS or a private company will be in touch with parents and ask for their consent. This may be a paper form but increasingly parents are asked to give their consent via an online form.

Confusion can set in already at this early stage, with parents reporting some forms only have a 'yes' option but no way of saying 'no' or else asking parents to justify their refusal. Alternatively some parents may object to the wording. They may be happy to say they don't want their child vaccinated but the form may read 'I don't want my child protected' which the parent then won't want to put their name to.

Strictly speaking you do not need to submit anything in order to say 'no'. If the vaccination provider doesn't have your consent, they cannot vaccinate your child. A clear 'no' may however help avoid confusion on the day, as staff may start trying to call you or even ask your child to give their own consent.

Consent in medicine is only valid if it is given by a competent person, free of pressure and undue influence and after receiving unbiased information. This seems almost impossible in a school setting. Nevertheless children are sometimes asked to give their own consent, possibly even in defiance of their parents' refusal. We have published extensive guidance for parents about these issues. Occasionally children are vaccinated due to administrative errors and even strong pressure from staff with a fanatical bias towards vaccination is not unheard of.

Being absolutely certain that your child will not have the vaccines in school is therefore difficult. Even if you keep them at home, there may be unannounced catch-up sessions later on.

Here are some tips that will help make any mishaps less likely.

return any consent forms with a clear 'no' by the deadline or put your refusal in your own words
make sure your child knows they are not meant to have the vaccine and do what you can to empower them
consider keeping them at home on vaccination day
make sure teachers and school staff know about your refusal as well as the vaccination provider and ask them to help prevent any mistakes
in some cases a legal letter to the vaccination provider may be appropriate

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Government will be able to order fluoridation of drinking water
UK’s ‘safe level’ for tap water is already too high in many areas
Consultation asks your opinion on how the law is implemented

Our charity campaigns for parental consent in health interventions and medicines. You normally have a choice when it comes to agreeing to a medical treatment but once this new law receives royal assent, choice is almost eliminated. The government will be able to order water companies to add fluoride to your drinking water.

Buying bottled water for a family isn’t a sustainable option for most and isn’t recommended for adding to baby formula, for example. Some may look at filtered options, but most filters do not filter fluoride. This is not a straight forward choice and it can also be expensive. On the topic of quality of our tap water, a basic daily human need for which we pay, we felt it vital to let you know what may be mandated soon.

Currently, the UK already has a potential health issue with tap water. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-60761972 Nearly half of the 45 samples showed contamination with ‘forever chemicals’ which are linked to a range of diseases, including cancer.

“Scientists are concerned that the allowable levels of toxic PFAS – known as “forever chemicals” – in UK drinking water are too high.”

These chemicals are in many products such as non-stick pans, food packaging, carpets, furniture and firefighting foam. Additional to these forever chemicals, the new Health and Care Act will allow ministers to order water fluoridation so that water companies have to add fluoride-containing compound chemicals into our drinking water supply.

Consultation The current public consultations does not ask whether or not you agree with this. The bill has passed and is awaiting Royal Assent. However, the government will have to conduct further consultations before establishing new water fluoridation schemes and today they want to know your view on how to conduct these.

You can find it under the following link. There are only two questions.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/water-fluoridation-seeking-views-on-future-consultation-process/water-fluoridation-seeking-views-on-future-consultation-process

Water fluoridation is a mass medical intervention intended to reduce tooth decay. Like many such vogue interventions, the assumption is that it will have certain benefits with no unintended negative consequences. However it remains controversial and even the benefits of fluoride on dental health is not undisputed. Since 2014 fluoride varnish has been part of many check-up visits to the dentist. Sometimes parents aren’t even asked their permission before their children’s teeth are coated with a fluoride coating. But this study shows no benefit for most: https://newsroom.uw.edu/postscript/new-study-questions-value-fluoride-varnish

Naturally occurring fluoride are not the same as the chemical added to water. Please check the comparisons made here: https://www.ukfffa.org.uk/comparison-natural-fluoride-and-artificial-fluoride