By KELIN DILLON

On the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 14, Mexican Undersecretary of Health Hugo López-Gatell announced that one million minors at-risk of contracting covid-19 will receive vaccinations against the virus, a choice affirming the multiple court rulings that have given children in Mexico the right to be inoculated.

López-Gatell said the shots against covid would be given to children between the ages of 12 and 17 with chronic diseases like HIV, cancer, diabetes and kidney failure, who are more prone to the adverse effects of the virus, and not given out to the minor population in general.

“The vaccination of minors must be seen in two groups:  adolescents who do not have diseases that cause them a greater risk of severe covid-19 or a risk similar to that of adults, who, fortunately, are the vast majority and, the second group, people who unfortunately suffer from certain diseases that increase the risk of serious cases of covid-19,” said López-Gatell.

The health official reiterated that the World Health Organization (WHO) has not yet recommended mass vaccinations of minors not exceptionally vulnerable to coronavirus, and that Pfizer is the only brand approved for emergency use for children in Mexico so far.

Meanwhile, federal courts have continued to rule in favor of minor’s right to vaccinate themselves, in line with their constitutional right to health. Just between Sept. 7 and Sept. 13 alone,  five different judges granted 249 suspensions granting children immunization.

“Minors from 12 to 17 years old do constitute a priority and vulnerable group that must be incorporated into the National Vaccination Policy (PNV), issued before the approval of the viability of the vaccine in minors,” ruled the Second Court Administrative Collegiate Court in Veracruz.