Vaccination Debate & Controversy: Anti-Vaccine Parents Can't Claim Benefits?

A new controversy surrounding vaccine benefits now have parents reeling. ABC Australia reported that parents who have not had their kids vaccinated might just get refusal from receiving governmental benefits. This upcoming possible public policy comes in lieu as the number of parents in Australia refusing to have their kids immunized have grown in the past decade. 

The Australian government noticed that parents have taken advantage of claiming benefits even as they refuse to have their kids vaccinated.

Queensland chief health officer, Dr. Jeanette Young shared her insights with regards to the necessity she saw to have such policy take effect: "We need people to understand that if people don't get vaccinated, these diseases will return, as they have overseas in some countries, and as we see on a regular basis here in Queensland and Australia, when people go overseas and bring the diseases back into our country."

"One of the ones that is steadily increasing, unfortunately, are those people who are vaccine refusers, or conscientious objectors. And for whatever reason, philosophically or otherwise, they really don't believe that vaccination is necessary. And they're putting the broader community at risk."

Meanwhile, in the United States, a parental issues group in Minnesota called Health Choice vouched for California to take notice on the urgent necessity of child vaccines, according to ABC News 10. An SB277 California vaccination bill was scheduled for an upcoming discussion in the Senate. This bill called for a lawful mandatory requirement for parents to have their kids vaccinated. Senator Richard Pan of Sacramento, who is a registered pediatrician, support this bill.

As ABC 7 reported, Pan expressed his concerns on children and public health by saying, "We can't have people fearing to go outside, to go to their school, to go to a store, to get on public transport, to go to a theme park because they're afraid of catching a disease like measles."

Diana Rude, an advocate for California State Grange, was all for parental access to sufficient information about child vaccines. She said, "I support parental rights. I have two grandchildren, ages 10 and 12 and I want to know everything there is to know about things like vaccines for their sake."

"I don't think there is ever anything wrong with providing education. That is what public policy development needs to be based on, accurate information."

California State Grange composes of members that advocate for availability of child vaccine information to parents within the state.