You have to see this with your own eyes, so incredibly nuts it is: Our government pays anti-vaxxers!
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/scientists-call-for-end-of-handouts-to-parents-who-dont-vaccinate-children/story-fnii5s41-1226874673399[*quote*]
Scientists call for end of handouts to parents who don’t vaccinate children Jane Hansen
News Limited
April 05, 2014 11:00PM
A GROUP of eminent scientists has called on the Abbott Government to crack down on handouts to parents who refuse to vaccinate their children.
According to the latest National Health Performance Authority report there are 75,002 children aged five and under not fully immunised with one in five of those, or 14,869 children registered as conscientious objectors in 2012-13.
Registered conscientious objectors can obtain the family tax benefit A supplement immunisation bonus worth $2100.The Australasian Virology Society, The Australasian Society for Immunology, and The Australian Society for Microbiology, who collectively represent approximately 4000 of Australia’s most prominent researchers, clinicians and scientists, have written to the government calling for action to close the loophole.
Eminent biologist Sir Gustav Nossal said conscientious objectors were making a mockery of the system put in place to increase vaccination.
“I am not in favour of these people getting a financial benefit for not vaccinating their children,” Sir Nossal said.
“Almost 8 per cent of Australians do not have their children vaccinated and only 2 per cent of those are genuine conscientious objectors, and ifthat was all there were it wouldn’t be too bad, but the other 6 percent are not informed and just heard in the supermarket vaccination was bad, they are not genuine conscientious objectors,” Sire Nossal said.
No other government on the planet pays people to NOT get their kids vaccinated
(Dr Peter Speck, Australasian Virology Society)
“No other government on the planet pays people to NOT get their kids vaccinated,” added Dr Peter Speck, from the Australasian Virology Society.
“Childhood vaccination rates in some regions of Australia are falling to dangerously low levels. The current system in which parents can refuse vaccinations for their children yet still receive the incentive sends a mixed message to the community and ultimately endangers lives. Under this policy, the rate of conscientious objection increased by over 600% between 1999 and 2012,” the scientists wrote.
Last year, during the Sunday and Daily Telegraph’s No Jab No Play campaign which called for an end to government handouts to conscientious objectors, Prime Minister Tony Abbott promised that if his government was elected, parents who, without a legitimate medical reason chose not vaccinate their children, would no longer receive the Family Tax Benefit Part A Supplement.
“To date, the Australian Federal Government has not implemented the promised changes. We call on the Government to implement its promise to encourage parents to vaccinate their children by making this a requirement for the Family Tax Benefit Part A Supplement, unless there is a legitimate medical reason to not do so.,” the scientists said.
A statement from the Department of Human Services confirmed conscientious objectors were within their rights to claim the immunisation bonus.“All parents who declare a conscientious objection to immunisations and who are otherwise eligible for and have claimed Family Tax Benefit would have received payment in the last year,” a spokesman said.
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