The Australian government are clamping down on ‘anti-vaccinators’.
Under the Federal Government law, there will be a ‘No Jab, No Pay’ program which will see parents who refuse to vaccinate being docked money from their family tax benefit.
According to News.com.au, the ‘anti-vaxxers’ will lose AU$28 from their tax benefits for each child that isn’t up to date with their immunisations.
Minister for Social Services Dan Tehan said in a statement: “Immunisation is the safest way to protect children from vaccine-preventable diseases.
“Parents who don’t immunise their children are putting their own kids at risk as well as the children of other people.”
In New Zealand, the previous National Government ruled out a similar move, with the Prime Minister saying it was up to parents to make that decision.
“If the state forced a child to be vaccinated and the child had a significant medical reaction and potentially died as a result of that, that would be a huge burden that the state would’ve put on those parents,” he said back in 2015.
According to Newshub, the Australian Government spent AU$14 million last year on free immunisations, giving everyone the chance to get up to date with their vaccinations.
