[FatBoy]

The Australian Federal Government has bipartisan support to reduce welfare payments to people that don't vaccinate their children due to "conscientious objection".  People with religious and medical reasons for not vaccinating will be exempt from this requirement.  The Social Services Minister indicated that the number of children that qualify under the religious objection would number about 1000 people.

About time!!!!

Parents who shun vaccinations to lose up to k a year in rebates

[beerman]

About time,

What really annoyed me was when they had a 'bonus' payment for kids that received their needles, and it was paid to 'objectors'.

Seriously, here was a payment to encourage child vaccination, and it was still paid to those who didn't....Seriously, if your that outraged by the concept, prove it by not taking the money...... 

[CraigB]

Personally I think parents who don't vaccinate their children should be charged for child neglect, heck we vaccinate our pets so they should at lest show the same concern for children.

[Doggie 1]

No argument from me.
Good to see bi-partisan support too.   

[AlanHo]

I wish the UK would do that. Why should the population be exposed to people walking in their midst who could be susceptible to a dangerous disease.

The only issue I have with the idea is that people can be exempted on religious grounds. I can understand the medical exemption in rare cases, but religion is a card played all too often for people to avoid communal responsibility.

[Wingerdave]

I'm an advocate of compulsory euthenasia 

[AlanHo]

I'm an advocate of compulsory euthenasia 

THat's a religion that is new to me - Is that a branch of the Ex-Brummigem Galvanised Methodists?..........

[Wingerdave]

No, just common (brummigem) sense. The problem is immediatly solved 

[FatBoy]

Even better news.  The Australian Government has now stated that the only exemption from vaccinations will be on medical grounds.  No exemptions for religious reasons!! 

Hooray!!  Common sense prevails!!

[Phil №❶]

Still going to be gaps in the system as they are only targeting welfare payments. Those that can afford it will simply do without and those not on welfare will of course be unaffected. To get full compliance they should 2x the medicare levy or similar.

[Surferdude]

Still going to be gaps in the system as they are only targeting welfare payments. Those that can afford it will simply do without and those not on welfare will of course be unaffected. To get full compliance they should 2x the medicare levy or similar.

I don't know about other areas but around here the biggest gap is up in the hinterland (Maleny etc) with it's large population of alternative lifestylers. They'll be getting some form of government assistance.
I doubt they'll fall into line but at least we won't be funding their lifestyle.

[PiL]

i guarantee you that when little johnnie gets the measels, the first place the parents will take him to is the doctors.

do they not see the utter hypocrisy in that?   

[rustynutz]

The Australian Federal Government has bipartisan support to reduce welfare payments to people that don't vaccinate their children due to "conscientious objection".  People with religious and medical reasons for not vaccinating will be exempt from this requirement.  The Social Services Minister indicated that the number of children that qualify under the religious objection would number about 1000 people.

About time!!!!

Parents who shun vaccinations to lose up to k a year in rebates

Nothing like a bit of blackmail to get your way.... just sayin'...

[FatBoy]

The Australian Federal Government has bipartisan support to reduce welfare payments to people that don't vaccinate their children due to "conscientious objection".  People with religious and medical reasons for not vaccinating will be exempt from this requirement.  The Social Services Minister indicated that the number of children that qualify under the religious objection would number about 1000 people.

About time!!!!

Parents who shun vaccinations to lose up to k a year in rebates

Nothing like a bit of blackmail to get your way.... just sayin'...

Not blackmail, Rusty.  If people are willing to stand by their convictions, then that is fine.  But don't expect the Government to support that.  Bipartisan support, that means the loony left support it as well as the fascist right.

It is still my shout for coffee!!  I might even buy cake too!!

[rustynutz]

Oh, that's right, it's not blackmail when it's the Government doing it.... 

Hanging out for that coffee, Jamie....it's been too long!
Keep your cake, unless it's a snot block or something like that... 

[FatBoy]

Oh, that's right, it's not blackmail when it's the Government doing it.... 

Hanging out for that coffee, Jamie....it's been too long!
Keep your cake, unless it's a snot block or something like that... 

Mate, you are on!!  I love a snot block!!  My favourite type of treat.

So if a child gets sick because they aren't vaccinated, should the rest of society and the child pay for the parents' choice?

Just saying....  Doctors and scientists in peer reviewed papers state that vaccination works more effectively if the people that can be vaccinated are.  Herd vaccination (not herd mentality) works.

[rustynutz]

Hey mate, I actually agree with vaccinations... 

And yes, I know there are many arguments for and against.

Still reckon it's blackmail with what they are doing though... 

My dictionary says:

Blackmail: Exert pressure on someone through threats

 the exertion of pressure or threats, esp unfairly, in an attempt to influence someone's actions

[CraigB]

If it takes blackmail for these idiots to finally immunise their children then so be it, personally I think they should be charged for child neglect.

[FatBoy]

Hey mate, I actually agree with vaccinations... 

And yes, I know there are many arguments for and against.

Still reckon it's blackmail with what they are doing though... 

My dictionary says:

Blackmail: Exert pressure on someone through threats

 the exertion of pressure or threats, esp unfairly, in an attempt to influence someone's actions

So what are the arguments against vaccination?

They aren't threats, they are are actions.  If you don't vaccinate, you will not receive some Government assistance.  Not unfair and totally reasonable.

I do like Jimmy Kimmel's statement about the anti-vaxxers.  They say that want the other side of the argument publicised.  He said that the other side of the argument was like saying "Eating pancakes makes you gay."  THERE IS NO OTHER SIDE!!

Remember when you got Polio?  No you don't, because you're parents got you vaccinated.

Remembers Small Pox?  Nobody does!!  It was eradicated because of vaccination!!

My uncles had mumps when they were younger.  Neither had children.  Mumps is almost unheard of today, because of vaccination!!

If the Government's action to reduce welfare payments to people that don't vaccinate, causes a family to get their kids vaccinated so they receive the payment, it helps everybody.

[rustynutz]

So what are the arguments against vaccination?

There's A Downside To Vaccinations - Personal Liberty

[rustynutz]

My uncles had mumps when they were younger.  Neither had children.  Mumps is almost unheard of today, because of vaccination!!

I had mumps twice as a kid...

[FatBoy]

Any peer reviewed papers in the arguments against vaccinations?

If you don't want to get your kids vaccinated, don't expect society to pay for that decision.

[FatBoy]

My uncles had mumps when they were younger.  Neither had children.  Mumps is almost unheard of today, because of vaccination!!

I had mumps twice as a kid...

Were you vaccinated against mumps? If you were then the vaccination worked as you have kids. My uncles weren't vaccinated against mumps and therefore suffered the inability to father children.

[Phil №❶]

I do like Jimmy Kimmel's statement about the anti-vaxxers.  They say that want the other side of the argument publicised.  He said that the other side of the argument was like saying "Eating pancakes makes you gay."  THERE IS NO OTHER SIDE!!

Wrong, ask these parents !

http://www.nvic.org/NVIC-Vaccine-News/May-2011/In-Memoriam--Infant-Deaths---Vaccination.aspx

BTW, I'm pro vaccination, but I think the govt's method is wrong.

[FatBoy]

Gee, I'm really surprised that an anti-vaccine website says that there is another side. FFS!!

[Phil №❶]

The point is there ARE 2 sides. I don't want to even imagine living without any of my "children" as I'm sure you wouldn't, especially over the cause, death by vaccination reaction, yet it does happen.

Like I said, I'm pro vaccination, too. I had mumps as a child, too. What a rip off, started 1st week of summer school holidays, I was 10 yo spent all 6 weeks in bed in a quite, darkened bedroom. Daily visits by the quack, as I developed complications and nearly ended up in hospital. It's the sickest I have ever felt, still remember it well.

My childern avoided all that, with a simple needle.

[FatBoy]

I never said that there are no possible side effects from vaccinations.  However, it is a simple case of risk vs reward.  If there is a small risk of complications due to vaccination (including death), but the risks due to not vaccinating are much worse (whooping cough, measles, polio); then I would never even consider not vaccinating.

I have had an adverse reaction to vaccination.  It was my second vaccination to anthrax in 2002.  It knocked me on my backside for two days, I could not move.  Others had similar reactions to either the first or second round (we didn't end up getting the third round, we were back home).  One of the members of the ship's company has a father who is a Paediatric Gastroenterologist (sp?).  He explained to her that an adverse reaction can indicate that the vaccination is working.  It is forcing the body's immune system to react to the introduced vaccine, which then builds up the immunity to the disease in future.  BTW, we did have a choice whether we wanted to get the vaccination or not; however, if we decided not to get the vaccination, then we were sent home.  At that stage we believed that the threat of chemical weapons, including anthrax, was very real.

[rustynutz]

My uncles had mumps when they were younger.  Neither had children.  Mumps is almost unheard of today, because of vaccination!!

I had mumps twice as a kid...

Were you vaccinated against mumps? If you were then the vaccination worked as you have kids. My uncles weren't vaccinated against mumps and therefore suffered the inability to father children.

I had the mumps during the 60's, well before any vaccination was introduced in Victoria so that would be a no, me thinks.... 

The fact that I had them twice and still went on to father children would suggest that you don't necessarily lose the ability....unless of course I've been kidding myself all these years and it WAS the milkman that fathered my daughter...   

[FatBoy]

I will add that my uncles both got the mumps in their late teens. That may be one of the reasons that they weren't able to father kids.

[Doggie 1]

I ad mumps and measles at the same time as a toddler and was very ill.
But I'm still (was?  ) a fertile bugger.