Australians opposed to vaccinating their children could see government benefits cut from their income under a new policy.
Under the policy, dubbed “No Jab — No Play and No Pay for Child Care,” the Government of Australia is no longer allowing parents to be so-called conscientious objectors in order to be exempt from vaccination requirements tied to a family tax benefit, the Child Care Rebate and Child Care Benefits.
“This means that vaccine objectors will not be able to access these government payments,” Prime Minister Tony Abbott said in a statement on Sunday.
“Parents who vaccinate their children should have confidence that they can take their children to child care without the fear that their children will be at risk of contracting a serious or potentially life-threatening illness because of the conscientious objections of others,” Abbott said.
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The change goes into effect as of Jan. 1, 2016 and spells the end of up to AUS $11,000 (approximately CDN $10,500) in taxpayer-funded benefits for families who object to vaccinations.
There will continue to be exemptions granted for medical and religious reasons, although the religion-based request to not vaccinate a child will only be approved if the person objecting is affiliated with a religious group that has “a formally registered objection with the government.
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According to the Australian government, more than 90 per cent of Australian children between the ages of one and five years old have the required vaccines, but more than 39,000 kids do not have their shots because of their parents’ objections. That number is up by 24,000 children since a decade ago.
“The choice made by families not to immunize their children is not supported by public policy or medical research nor should such action be supported by taxpayers in the form of child care payments,” the Australian government statement read.
New changes to vaccination requirements also mean that, in order to qualify for the Family Tax Benefit Part A end of year supplement, all children must get their required jabs. Previously, vaccinations were only checked at ages 1, 2 and 5. But, according to the government, most children of families receiving the Family Tax Benefit — 97 per cent — already meet the immunization requirements.
Vaccination opponents, commonly known as anti-vaxxers, have faced public criticism around the world as diseases like the measles have emerged after years of infections being rare.
Some experts don’t feel the Abbott government’s move will make much of a difference.
Julie Laesk, an associate professor at the University of Sydney, told the Sydney Morning Herald only half of the 2 per cent of Australian parents registered as conscientious objectors are considered “hardcore” anti-vaxxers. She said it was unlikely those parents would change their tune.
She added there are more parents who don’t keep up with vaccinations who face practical or logistical reasons for not meeting requirements and suggested the government eliminate “practical barriers to immunization.”
Who are the anti-vaxxers in Canada?
Based on polling of 1,013 Canadian parents with unvaccinated kids, pollsters at Mainstreet Technologies learned that:
- 40 per cent come from households with over $100,000 in income
- 38 per cent hold a university degree while 66 per cent have completed post-secondary education
- 65 per cent cite health reasons for not vaccinating
- 19 per cent say religious reasons are what make them refuse vaccines
- Another seven per cent said philosophical reasons stood in the way of vaccination
READ MORE: Who are the anti-vaxxers in Canada? New poll profiles resistant group
CORRECTION: The word contentious was mistakenly used in one of the above paragraphs. The word that should have been used was conscientious. This story has been updated accordingly.
With files from Carmen Chai
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