Uploaded April 2015 | Updated September 2026, 15 hours ago
ABC NEWS.
Dr John Cunningham discusses the rise in the number of parents officially registering their refusal to vaccinate their children.
Federal Health Department figures show 39,523 children were recorded with "conscientious objections" to vaccinations in 2014, up from 18,899 in 2006.
In order to obtain certain supplementary financial benefits that depend on the immunisation status of their children, parents must sign a "conscientious objection" form after being informed by their doctor of the dangers of potentially lethal vaccine-preventable diseases.
Most objections are classed as "philosophical". Although a category of "religious" objection is available, no Australian church opposes vaccination.
Although childhood immunisation is widely supported in the Australian community and vaccination rates are high, clusters of vaccine refusers and unvaccinated children have been shown to be associated with recent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles and pertussis.
npr.org/blogs/health/2015/01/20/378630798/parents-who-shun-vaccines-tend-to-cluster-boosting-childrens-risk
ABC NEWS.
Dr John Cunningham discusses the rise in the number of parents officially registering their refusal to vaccinate their children.
Federal Health Department figures show 39,523 children were recorded with "conscientious objections" to vaccinations in 2014, up from 18,899 in 2006.
In order to obtain certain supplementary financial benefits that depend on the immunisation status of their children, parents must sign a "conscientious objection" form after being informed by their doctor of the dangers of potentially lethal vaccine-preventable diseases.
Most objections are classed as "philosophical". Although a category of "religious" objection is available, no Australian church opposes vaccination.
Although childhood immunisation is widely supported in the Australian community and vaccination rates are high, clusters of vaccine refusers and unvaccinated children have been shown to be associated with recent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles and pertussis.
npr.org/blogs/health/2015/01/20/378630798/parents-who-shun-vaccines-tend-to-cluster-boosting-childrens-risk
