Parental permission not needed for child vaccination, top court rules

Turkey's Supreme Court of Appeals has ruled parental permission is not necessary for the vaccination of babies and children, following a case where the parents of a one-year-old baby refused compulsory vaccinations for their child. 

The Supreme Court of Appeals 2nd Civil Chamber said in its ruling that parental permission was not necessary for certain types of vaccines which were in a child's "best interest" to receive.

 With the ruling, babies and children will be vaccinated against certain diseases in line with the Health Ministry's vaccination calendar, regardless of their parents' preferences on the issue.

In cases where parents object to the vaccination, the Family Courts will rule on the vaccination of the child as a "health precaution."

Families who insist on preventing their child from receiving vaccinations will face criminal and civil liabilities.

They will also face a lawsuit and be charged with "child neglect" in cases where they have prevented their child from being vaccinated. The state will be able to rule on physically removing the child from the family as a further step. 

The ruling came after a case in which the parents of a one-year-old baby refused all vaccinations for their child in the Aegean province of U?ak in 2013.

The U?ak provincial department of the Family and Social Policies Ministry filed a lawsuit at the U?ak 2nd Family Court against the child's parents, identified as M.A and ?.A., for refusing to give their one-year-old baby compulsory vaccinations on Sept. 22, 2013.

The court, however, dismissed the case on June 13, 2014. The U?ak provincial department of Family and Social Policies Ministry then appealed the decision. 

The Supreme Court of Appeals then...