The first Covid-19 vaccines have begun to be administered to 12- to 15-year-olds in the island.
They are the latest group to be offered the vaccine.
To allow children in this age bracket to be eligible for the injections, parents or guardians are being invited to register their child online.
Parents are then asked to attend the appointment in order to give their consent at the point of vaccination.
.jpeg?width=209&height=140&crop=209:145,smart&quality=75)
However, it is possible that a child can give their own consent if they can clearly demonstrate an understanding of the treatment including the benefits and risks, and have the ability to explain their reasoning to the vaccinator - this is known as the Gillick Competence.
Essentially, this means that children under the age of 16 can consent to their own treatment if they’re believed to have enough intelligence, competence and understanding to fully appreciate what’s involved in their treatment.
Gillick Competency applies mainly to decisions about medical treatment, and can be used when young people want to have a treatment without their parent or carer’s consent, and in some cases, knowledge.
It also can apply when a young person wishes to refuse a medical treatment.
In terms of age range, Gillick Competency can be applied to any young person under the age of 16, there are no set age groups.
It’s a complex area, where the professional will assess a number of factors in relation to the child’s ability to consent - their age, maturity, mental capacity and so on.
So hypothetically, an intelligent, mature 12-year-old may be considered ’Gillick Competent’ while a less mature 14-year-old is not, if they cannot demonstrate an understanding of the issue, what’s involved including benefits and disadvantages and so on.
According to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) website, the origins of this rule are in the landmark House of Lords decision made in 1985, when Victoria Gillick took her local health authority (West Norfolk and Wisbech Area Health Authority) and the Department of Health and Social Security to court in an attempt to stop doctors from giving contraceptive advice or treatment to those under 16 without parental consent.
The competency test therefore does not only apply to coronavirus vaccinations.
Aside from the medical arena, it can sometimes be used in making decisions about a young person’s future living arrangements, which may conflict with the views of parents or carers.