Legal battles brewing between parents divided on COVID-19 vaccination

COVID-19 vaccination has caused a lot of tension in some communities, and for some Manitoba parents divided on the issue, it's also resulting in legal bills. 

Earlier this week, a court case in Saskatchewan involving divorced parents who couldn't agree on the vaccine issue made national headlines, with the judge ultimately siding with the parent who wanted their 13-year-old daughter to get the shot. 

In a similar case in Quebec, a Superior Court judge ruled that a mother was allowed to have her 12-year-old son vaccinated against COVID-19 despite the father's opposition.

Lawyers in Winnipeg say they're dealing with the same conflicts here, too. 

Lillian Mackenzie, who practises family law in Winnipeg at Visionary Law Corporation, said the number of clients coming to her firm over these conflicts has exploded recently. 

"The vaccines have become a very polarizing issue for families, and in all sorts of different ways," she said. 

In some cases, the conflict centres around children being vaccinated, while in other cases, the issue is one parent being vaccinated while the other isn't, Mackenzie said.