A judge suspends the anticovid vaccine in Uruguay for children under 13 years of age for "not being scientifically approved"

The Uruguayan Government describes the judicial decision as "inadmissible" and announces that it will appeal it

MADRID, 8 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) -

A judge has ruled this Thursday the suspension of anticovid vaccination for children under 13 years of age throughout Uruguay after describing the vaccine as "not being scientifically approved", and until the Government presents the contracts for the purchase of the vaccines and publishes so complete the composition of "substances to be inoculated".

The decision has taken place after an anti-vaccine group presented last Friday to the Administrative Litigation Court (TCA) an injunction requesting the prohibition of the COVID-19 vaccine for those under 13 years of age for "illegal and unconstitutional" and for "continuing in the experimental phase", as reported by Teledoce.

The suspension, communicated in a ruling in which the health authorities are warned of "warning" in case of contempt, requires that "those responsible for minors" be provided with a text that informs "completely and clearly" of the content of injections, as well as their benefits and the possible risks that the inoculation entails.

"Even respecting the self-determination and freedom of each parent, the best interests of each child must prevail, and it is necessary to keep in mind, at no time, that we are not facing a scientifically approved medical prescription, but rather an experiment, that not because of its colossal magnitude ceases to be what it is: an experiment," says the judge, Alejandro Recarey, in the sentence collected by the newspaper 'El Observador'.

Likewise, Recarey has argued that, although vaccination is not mandatory but is recommended, "it would be like allowing a merchant to sell food without sanitary control on the basis that no one is obliged to buy it."

Before this sentence, the Uruguayan Executive accused the judge, Alejandro Recarey, questioning his impartiality, since he had previously expressed his opinion against vaccination, according to the Uruguayan newspaper 'El País'.

And now, after the judicial decision, the Uruguayan Prosecutor's Office and the Ministry of Health have announced in separate statements that they will abide by the ruling --which has immediate effect-- while at the same time appealing it, maintaining that "each of the decisions taken regarding vaccination" have been based on "the available scientific evidence".

"Given the decision of the substitute judge Alejandro Recarey to suspend vaccination against COVID-19 in the population under 13 years of age, the Ministry of Public Health resolves to abide by the judge's ruling while appealing it. For this reason, as of Today the vaccines for this population will no longer be available until further notice," the Uruguayan Health portfolio said in a statement.

After Recarey's ruling, the health authorities have stressed the importance of "maintaining non-pharmacological care, especially in populations that have not received vaccines or have not completed their vaccination status."

"This judge's decision places responsibility on the Justice for the possible impact on the health of a number of minors in Uruguay who wanted to be vaccinated," said the secretary of the Presidency, Álvaro Delgado, mentioning that this Thursday 5,800 children had an appointment to get vaccinated.

"The first thing the Government is preparing is the immediate appeal of this judicial ruling. The rulings are followed but they can be criticized and this ruling is nonsense," Delgado added.

Likewise, the secretary of the Presidency has described as "inadmissible" that the National Vaccination Plan be considered "illegal and unconstitutional": "For the Government and for Uruguay as a whole, this is inadmissible."

"As a citizen and as a parent, the fact that a decision by a judge suspends a vaccination that is voluntary worries us greatly (...) There was no more prepared and studied vaccination plan than the Uruguayan one, backed by science," he asserted.