A woman walks across Parnell street in central Auckland, New Zealand on Sept. 19, 2021. New Zealand's largest city Auckland will relax restrictions by moving to COVID-19 Alert Level 3 at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday for at least two weeks, as the country reported 22 new Delta community cases on Monday.(Photo: Xinhua)

 New Zealand authorities on Tuesday launched a battle for custody of an infant whose parents are blocking life-saving surgery because blood donors may have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

The New Zealand health authority took the bid for emergency custody to the High Court in Auckland in a case that has sparked local protest and underscored the potency of vaccine misinformation.

The 4-month-old - whose name has been suppressed by court order - needs an "urgent operation" to correct a heart disorder known as pulmonary valve stenosis, the child's mother has said. The surgical procedure has been delayed because the baby's parents do not want any blood transfused that could have come from a donor vaccinated using mRNA vaccines.

Health authorities rejected the parents' request for unvaccinated blood. New Zealand's blood service does not make a distinction between donations from those vaccinated or unvaccinated against COVID-19, as there is no extra risk from using vaccinated blood. Health New Zealand has said it applied to the court "with the best interests of the child in mind" following "extensive conversations" with the family.