The national health department, the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra), and organisations against administering the Covid-19 vaccine in children are headed to court this week.

Caring Healthcare Workers Coalition (CHC), the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), Free the Children - Save the Nation, and the Covid Care Alliance are demanding a halt to vaccinating children against the virus.

They launched an urgent court application in the Pretoria High Court that will be heard on Wednesday.

Currently, Sahpra has approved Pfizer to be used in vaccinating children aged 12 to 17 against Covid-19. Children get only one dose of the vaccine, while adults get two doses. So far, 210 149 children have been vaccinated.

In court papers, ACDP leader the Reverend Kenneth Meshoe states that Covid-19 is a, "... general practitioner's disease and can be successfully handled when early treatments are applied".

He further says vaccinating minors, "... does not accord with the constitutional rights of the children".

The religious political party wants the government to suspend the vaccinations until an appeal they lodged with Sahpra is heard and concluded.

On 8 October,  Free the Children launched an appeal after Sahpra announced the approval of emergency use of Pfizer in minors. In their appeal, the organisation says the vaccines are not in the best interest of the children.

The health department confirmed it is defending the case.

Speaking to News24 on Monday, Dr Naseeba Kathrada from the CHC said there was not enough research to indicate that children should be vaccinated.  "Weighed against the list of serious adverse effects of the vaccine, including blood clotting, myocarditis, pericarditis, and neurological complications, there is no justification to risk children's health by submitting them to the 'vaccine'. More so since the recovery from Covid, in this age group is more than 99,9% according to the WHO themselves."

She said they was no need to vaccinate anyone under the age of 20.

She said another point of contention was that children could get vaccinated without their parents' consent. "Things must be done ethically. This is just exposing children to side effects."

Kathrada, who earlier this year fought for the right of patients to use ivermectin, said if the department had research to prove that vaccinating children was beneficial, they could have produced it. She said the organisation was also worried that schools might make it mandatory for pupils to be vaccinated.

In his affidavit as part of the case, a US-based medical doctor Peter McCullough states that the vaccines are not safe for use, "... and cannot be deployed indiscriminately or supported, recommended, or mandated to any group".

While the Children's Act states that children aged 12 and older can consent to their own medical treatment, it is recommended that parents discuss the benefits of the vaccine with children and accompany them when they present themselves at vaccination sites, Health Minister Joe Phaahla said recently.

"Vaccination of young people from the age of 12 years is a global phenomenon, [and] the parents should not be too concerned about it," said Phaahla.

Health24 reported children would only receive one dose of the Pfizer vaccine, after international reports suggested a very rare risk of myocarditis after the second jab.

This side effect has mostly been seen in male teens and young adults, and the majority of cases were mild and short-lived.

But scientists are in agreement that the benefits of vaccinating teens far outweigh the risks, as studies have shown Pfizer's jab is safe to use in teens and provides very high levels of protection against developing symptomatic Covid and also against Covid-related hospitalisation, Bhekisisa reported.