4 ms·

Australian parents lose their childs tax benefits if they refuse vaccination, it's an enormous incentive (thousands per year) for the average wage earner. The

Australian parents lose their childs tax benefits if they refuse vaccination, it's an enormous incentive (thousands per year) for the average wage earner. The article seems to not mention this. Sadly it still doesn't stop entire communities of well-off antivaxxers forming, these particular areas are now ravaged by whooping cough outbreaks, a disease that was almost eliminated ten years ago.

joncrane 9y ago
So basically, only people that are rich AND dumb fall though the cracks? So what percentage are we talking? Single digits, I hope.
- chris_wot 9y ago
  Considerable numbers of parents in wealthy suburbs have not vaccinated their children: https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/melbournes-antivaccination-hot-spots-rich-suburbs-have-low-immunisation-rates-20151214-glmuv0.html https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/melbournes-antiv... The next pressure point will be that if parents don’t vaccinate their children, child-care centres will be forced to refuse to take children. This will actually work because the vast majority of these wealthy suburbs have both parents working, and they must use child care.
  - lemming 9y ago
    I don't know about in Australia, but here in NZ it's illegal to deny access to public schools or other state funded institutions based on vaccination status. I'm not sure about private schools though.
    - imron 9y ago
      They had to pass a law in Australia to take away benefits if you didn't vaccinate, and they could pass a law if needed regarding childcare too.
  - jclulow 9y ago
    You ultimately _can_ force enough people to stop taking the piss with laws. It mostly ends up being about whether you can convince parliament to pass the right ones. I like to think we (Australia) get it right at least some of the time.
    - imron 9y ago
      Kinda dropped the ball on the NBN though, and it was entirely over politics, not reasonable policy.
      - chris_wot 9y ago
        They completely dropped the ball on the NBN. That is almost completely Tony Abbott’s Gault. He will always be known as a wrecker.
      - jclulow 9y ago
        Yes, not our finest hour. Particularly now that the conservatives have gotten their way.
thedailymail 9y ago
Australia does have a variety of no-jab, no-pay programs to promote pediatric vaccines, but I believe HPV vaccine (which is given later) is not included in them
- ShorsHammer 9y ago
  May have not been the case before, some angry politicians have managed to tighten up tax and conscientious objection laws in the last few years. So HPV vaccine is now on the national immunisation program which your child must be up to date with to claim family tax benefits. https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/enablers/immunisation-requirements https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/enablers/immuni...

joncrane 9y ago

So basically, only people that are rich AND dumb fall though the cracks? So what percentage are we talking? Single digits, I hope.

chris_wot 9y ago
Considerable numbers of parents in wealthy suburbs have not vaccinated their children: https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/melbournes-antivaccination-hot-spots-rich-suburbs-have-low-immunisation-rates-20151214-glmuv0.html https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/melbournes-antiv... The next pressure point will be that if parents don’t vaccinate their children, child-care centres will be forced to refuse to take children. This will actually work because the vast majority of these wealthy suburbs have both parents working, and they must use child care.
- lemming 9y ago
  I don't know about in Australia, but here in NZ it's illegal to deny access to public schools or other state funded institutions based on vaccination status. I'm not sure about private schools though.
  - imron 9y ago
    They had to pass a law in Australia to take away benefits if you didn't vaccinate, and they could pass a law if needed regarding childcare too.
- jclulow 9y ago
  You ultimately _can_ force enough people to stop taking the piss with laws. It mostly ends up being about whether you can convince parliament to pass the right ones. I like to think we (Australia) get it right at least some of the time.
  - imron 9y ago
    Kinda dropped the ball on the NBN though, and it was entirely over politics, not reasonable policy.
    - chris_wot 9y ago
      They completely dropped the ball on the NBN. That is almost completely Tony Abbott’s Gault. He will always be known as a wrecker.
    - jclulow 9y ago
      Yes, not our finest hour. Particularly now that the conservatives have gotten their way.

thedailymail 9y ago

Australia does have a variety of no-jab, no-pay programs to promote pediatric vaccines, but I believe HPV vaccine (which is given later) is not included in them

ShorsHammer 9y ago
May have not been the case before, some angry politicians have managed to tighten up tax and conscientious objection laws in the last few years. So HPV vaccine is now on the national immunisation program which your child must be up to date with to claim family tax benefits. https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/enablers/immunisation-requirements https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/enablers/immuni...