Australia Passes 'No Jab, No Pay' Immunization Policy

The Australian Parliament passed a tighter law on November 23 that will prevent parents from receiving childcare benefits if they don’t immunize their children. Changes will be enforced beginning Jan. 1, 2016, and it may cost parents thousands of dollars in lost benefit payments.

The bill sailed through Parliament with the backing of the opposition Labor Party and Independents.

Previously, parents could still receive childcare benefits simply by declaring themselves conscientious objectors toward the government-funded immunizations. Now the law will only accept strict medical or religious reasons for avoiding injections.

Any parent wishing to dispute a finding that they have not vaccinated their child will have a minimum of two weeks to provide documentary evidence before payments are affected.

Liberal M.P. Andrew Laming said that childcare benefits from the government came with the “responsibility that you vaccinate your children.” He added:

Having a vaccination is an overwhelmingly positive individual and public good, and we should be encouraging it. We certainly shouldn’t be funding families, and giving them large amounts of public cash, if they’re not prepared to take publicly responsible decisions like getting their children vaccinated.

The government estimates 39,000 children under age 7 have not been vaccinated. Campaigners against the immunization say the vaccinations can be dangerous, and over 7,000 have signed a petition that states Australian parents should have the right to an “uncoerced choice.”