Revised Laws of Saint Lucia (2021)

21.   Judicial proceedings in certain cases of omission to procure vaccination

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   (1)   If any public vaccinator, district registrar, revenue officer, or police officer gives information in writing to a magistrate that he or she has reason to believe that any child under the age of 5 years, being within the judicial district for which such magistrate acts, has not been vaccinated, and that he or she has given notice to the parent of such child to procure its being vaccinated, and that such notice has been disregarded, the magistrate may summon such parent to appear, with the child, before him or her at a certain time and place, and upon such appearance if the magistrate finds, after such examination as he or she may consider necessary, that the child has not been vaccinated, and has not already had the smallpox, he or she shall, if he or she sees fit, make an order under his or her hand directing such child to be vaccinated within a certain time.

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   (2)   If at the expiration of such time the child has not been vaccinated, or is not shown to be then unfit to be vaccinated, or to be unsusceptible of vaccination, the parent upon whom such order is made shall be proceeded against summarily, and unless he or she shows some reasonable ground for his or her omission to carry such order into effect, he or she is liable to a penalty not exceeding $4.80. However, if the person summoned fails to appear with the child, at the time and place specified in the summons, the magistrate may make an order as above mentioned as though it were proved that the child had not been vaccinated, and whether the child has been vaccinated or not, such order may in this case contain a requirement for the payment of the costs of the proceedings, including the costs of such order. However, if the magistrate is of the opinion that the parent is improperly brought before him or her, and refuses to make any order for the vaccination of the child, he or she may order the informer to pay to such parent a sum of money that he or she considers to be a fair compensation for his or her expenses and loss of time in attending before the magistrate.