Anti-vax blog post not admissible, B.C. court rules in vaccination dispute
A B.C. father who printed off a blog post and submitted it to court in a bid to prevent his children's mother from vaccinating them against COVID-19 has lost the dispute, in part because the judge found his evidence inadmissible.
The family law case represents yet another instance in which an anti-vaccine parent failed to convince a Canadian judge that immunization posed a significant risk to their child, and ultimately lost decision-making authority on the matter.
The couple at the centre of the latest case, identified in court documents as C.H. and A.T., have two children, aged seven and nine.
Provincial court judge Wilson Lee's decision, which was posted online this week, noted that "both parties clearly love their children, and wish only the best for them."
"They disagree on this one issue, which has been the subject of debate throughout our society since the advent of the pandemic and the development of vaccines," Lee wrote.
But in court proceedings, disagreements are settled using compelling and reliable evidence – and the judge found the mother, Ms. T., was the only one who presented any at their hearing.
She brought letters from their children's doctors recommending that each of them receive the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as information from BC Children's Hospital, the Government of Canada, the Ministry of Health, and ImmunizeBC, all supporting the safety of vaccination.
The father, Mr. H., presented two printouts, including a Wordpress blog without a named author that discusses documents related to the development of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Lee found the printout was not admissible as evidence.
"At best, the blog post is an opinion that does not satisfy any of the requirements for an expert report," he wrote. "Even if the blog post were admissible as evidence, it only raises unsupported suspicions."
The other printout, which lacked as much as a source, described the typical timeline for vaccine development. The judge acknowledged the COVID-19 vaccine was developed more quickly.
But going on established case law regarding the COVID-19 vaccine, Lee noted several recurring principles, including that "COVID-19 vaccination is deemed to be in the best interests of a child" and that a "wait and see approach" of the kind advocated by Mr. H. "is not in the best interests of a child, especially when weighed against the risks of COVID-19 itself."
"The evidence submitted by Mr. H. does not rebut these presumptions," Lee wrote.
"I order that A.T. will have the parenting responsibility and authorization to obtain for the children the COVID-19 vaccination, including two doses, and a booster if and when recommended, without the consent of C.H."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Manitoba mom praises quick-thinking fire department for freeing daughter stuck in playground equipment
A Manitoba mother is praising firefighters for their quick work in helping her daughter who got stuck at a playground in Lorette, Man.