Publisher Mia Freedman (right) with Federal Health Minister Tanya Plibersek.
You know how everyone complains about how hard it is to get the ear of Government, to fight through all the red tape and bureaucracy, so you can actually talk to someone who can get something DONE?
Yeah, Mamamia readers don’t have that problem.
Because when thousands of us bring our voices together on a single issue? Well, those in power listen.
Last week brought the shocking news that the number of parents choosing NOT to vaccinate their children and registering as conscientious objectors is up 500%. Yes: 500 percent.
Which is why we asked Mamamia readers to sign the pledge to stand up to the totally unscientific and aggressive misinformation campaigns peddled by anti vaccination advocates such as the AVN.
Last week Mamamia Publisher Mia Freedman wrote:
Let’s be very clear. Those who refuse to immunise their children are not just risking their own children’s health but the lives of others in the community. Vaccinations are not perfect – occasionally, those who have been immunised can still contract the disease – but they are the best we’ve got to protect us against incurable diseases.
We all rely on the immunity of others to protect us, particularly those who are too young to be immunised and anyone with an illness that suppresses their immune system (such as cancer). They are our most vulnerable and high levels of immunisation in the community (above 95%) are crucial for their welfare.
So what’s behind the sudden increase? Anti-vaccination lobby groups.
Organisations that use bogus statistics and the word of unqualified ‘experts’ to scare new parents about unproven ‘dangers’ of vaccination. The power of these groups is only enhanced by the fact they have charitable status – which allows them tax breaks in their fundraising – and their misleading name ‘The Vaccination Network’ (formerly Australian Vaccination Network), that suggests they are some kind of official medical organisation.
Tanya and Mia keep chatting over lunch.
They’re not. And too many new parents – desperate to do the right thing by their newborns – are falling prey to the myths and the hocus pocus of the anti-vaxxers.
Last week, we asked you to sign a pledge that stated you believed in the benefits of medical research and science over the scare-mongering of the anti-vaccination lobby. We asked you to take a stand against those who pedal in lies and fear and pledge to vaccinate your own children and encourage your friends and family to do the same.
And you responded. In less than one week, almost 5000 of you have signed the pledge and that has meant the Government absolutely HAD to sit up and pay attention to you.
Representatives from Mamamia’s Editorial Team met with Health Minister Tanya Plibersek and her advisers on Tuesday this week. We discussed the merits of vaccination and the rise in the number of parents who aren’t vaccinating their kids.
Tanya was absolutely lovely, listening earnestly to all of our concerns and agreeing that more needed to be done to spread the message of the benefits of vaccination (she also signed the pledge!). We talked about a range of measures the Government can be looking into to make a difference and were pleased to see that the Minister was nodding along with everything we said.
We discussed the charitable status of the anti-vaccination lobby groups, the fact that parents who don’t vaccinate their kids can still access Government payments so long as they register as ‘conscientious objectors’ and the need for more official information to be reaching parents as soon as their children are born.
There is more work to do and we’re going to stay in close touch with the Minister’s office while Tanya explores some of the ideas and suggestions we’ve put to her. We’re terribly excited and quite humbled, to be able to take the concerns of Mamamia readers directly to the Federal Government and hopefully we can bring about some real change on this issue.
Stay tuned folks.
We’re just getting started.
You can still sign the Mamamia Vaccination Pledge below and share this post with your networks by clicking on the Twitter and Facebook links below or the SHARE button at the top of the page.
Comments
44 Comments so far
98,000,000 in the usa have a cancer causing due to sv40 monkey virus , 6o,ooo die from cancers linked to this virus every year .ALL vaccines are dirty ,containing foreign material from dogs ,pigs, human , toxic metals and virus and unknown extras. there are too many injections too early and many that have little chance of working at all.IF you believe injections are so effective why are you afraid of someone not injected .. Many life long problems are caused by injections such as astma,diabetes,deathand many other serious problems .
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this is exactly what I mean. I write a comment and suddenly it is a rant Jess? And the condescending tone suggesting I did a couple of google searches and decided not to vaccinate my children. Its people like you that I am referring to. Why the venom? Why such hatred? It is because of comments like these that we are unable to have an open honest discussion about this subject. Do you believe yourself to be an expert on all things pertaining to vaccinations? I don’t
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You’re right about the vitriol – always happens when you go against the grain on here.
As for your point about reactions to vaccinations – I understand that has been a huge worry for people from the start, and this ‘debate’ has been going on forever. In fact, Benjamin Franklin included a paragraph on this in his autobiography.
You will notice that he is pro-vaccination, but however you feel on the issue, I’m sure you’ll find it at the very least a compelling read:
‘In 1736 I lost one of my sons, a fine boy of four years old, by the small-pox, taken in the common way. I long regretted bitterly, and still regret that I had not given it to him by inoculation. This I mention for the sake of parents who omit that operation, on the supposition that they should never forgive themselves if a child died under it; my example showing that the regret may be the same either way, and that, therefore, the safer should be chosen.’
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Communities rely on something called herd immunity, when a high proportion of the community is vaccinated, those’s to young or sick to be vaccinated are protected as the disease is not prevalent. By ignorantly and selfishly choosing not to vaccinate you are putting these vulnerable groups in danger.
Do you really think doctors who have spent years studying would unnecessarily put your child at risk?
Propaganda about dangers of vaccines, particularly MMR, are influencing uneducated people to make the wrong decisions. Everyone please be smart and make sure to find the source material these junk science articles are based on, often they have no scientific merit. Critical thinking is a valuable skill, don’t believe everything you read on the internet
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I do condone not vaccinating your child if you have a genuine medical reason, however when people simply do not vaccinate out of fear caused by self researched material or material presented by a lobby group who refuse to believe in any material counter to their beliefs I do not condone it. Some say they are not imposing their beliefs on other people but aren’t their children other people? It’s not the child’s belief but the parents. If we went to a foreign country for a holiday etc where diseases like yellow fever and typhoid still exist would these parents not vaccinate against them and risk their children contracting these diseases? Do we just assume that because we do not live in a third world country we are automatically safer from disease? Chickenpox can and does cause major health problems but is too often considered a minor infection by parents. On another note, the MMR vaccine has never and will never contain mercury and in the vaccines that do contain traces of mercury( it is removed as part of the manufacturing process) it is well documented that there is more mercury in a serve of tuna than in these vaccinations. I do agree that there is a risk, however there is risk with every medication. Side effects of antibiotics and other medicines like panadol or ibuprofen can be severe in some individuals but the majority have no reaction like with vaccinations. Can we say then, that we trust our pharmacist or doctor for some things but not others when all medications pass the same stringent quality control before they reach us? Even natural therapies carry a risk of a reaction but they are still more widely used and trusted than vaccinations. The fact is, life is full of calculated risks but I believe that the risks associated with the diseases are far greater than the risks of the vaccination. Yes you can still contract the disease if you are vaccinated, so what is the point? The point is that the symptoms are far less severe in a vaccinated child than in a non vaccinated child. I do know that most people get their information from the internet so I had a look and a few quotes grabbed my attention. One doctor blamed vaccinations for causing cancer and leukaemia and another claimed small pox vaccinations were the cause of the rise in AIDS cases. We don’t see these quotes and similar on most anti vaxer websites yet people accept other doctors claims about vaccinations causing other medical conditions? This is why I have issues with anti-vaxers because they seem to pick and choose what anti vaccination information they believe and publish in order to justify not vaccinating their children or promote why you shouldn’t. There was an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association against vaccinations a few years back but it was retracted when it was found out that the author was employed by a lawyer who made his living suing drug companies over vaccine related problems. As well there was Andrew Wakefield, who was struck off the medical register for his fraudulent claims that there was a link between the MMR vaccine and autism. I just hope it won’t get to the point of the vaccinations being in the minority instead of the majority.
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I didn’t give the Hep B vaccination either, there are some vaccines that I don’t believe are crucial and Hep B is one of them. I also didn’t give rotavirus, the possibility of side effects was just too high versus the likelihood of my daughter contracting the disease. In my opinion it’s better to do your research before giving your child any medication, including vaccinations, but that’s just my opinion. I also don’t plan to give her the chicken pox vaccination at 18 months. These choices mean that I will be recorded as a conscientious objector even though I have completed the rest of the vaccination schedule. There are probably other parents like me who have chosen to omit some of the vaccinations from the schedule and that could be a contributing factor to the 500% figure. I would not even consider not vaccinating against things like polio, pertussis, meningococcal etc, but I just don’t agree that it is necessary to vaccinate a baby against a blood borne virus like Hep B when they are so unlikely to come into contact with it. Again, my opinion, and I know others will disagree, but it could be worth looking at all of the factors before we get up-in-arms about the alarming rise in parents choosing not to vaccinate their children.
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Anonymous – why do you think that paediatricians, early childhood nurses and Neonatal ICU doctors and nurses – all of whom dedicate their life to the health and welfare of babies and children – have dome to a different conclusion to yours? Same with public health doctors and nurses. DO you have some knowledge or expertise that they have missed out on?
The success of the neonatal Hep B vaccination strategy works on a public health basis – the more children are immune from childhood, the less chance there is of anyone transmitting the disease later. OF course, you can get vaccinated later, but it is much less likely that the whole population wold be covered that way.
Please understand that the people who construct these strategies know the science and the rationale behind what they do and recommend – they have no interest in harming children.
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Did you realise that that blood borne virus may be transmitted by saliva too and also there is a percentage of infections that have no identifiable cause? It is also highly virulent, meaning that it can survive a long time outside the human body, unlike HIV, so remember that when you use public facilities such as toilets.
Remember if you put your child into daycare that he/she may end up getting bitten (small chance I know, but lets face it, there are biters at every centre) and that is a definite risk. It’s given so early because it’s most effective in the first 7 days of life. I hope you let your child have their hep b vaccines later in childhood, because sexual transmission is a well known cause of transmission.
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You’ll be recorded as a conscientious objector because that is what you are. You can’t choose a path and then act all surprised when that is what you get classed as.
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wow, I’m sorry but this is scaremongering for sure but not by the antivaccinators. Why is it so hard for you all to believe that there may be legitimate reasons for their beliefs. The big pharmaceutical companies do not have the best track record in the world when it comes to honesty and transparency, most parents who decide not to vaccinate their babies have done alot of research (and are not mislead or ignorant) and quite frankly this smells like a massive witch hunt to me. Next you will be trying to force parents to vaccinate their children is that the next step? Step back, take a deep breath, do some reading…allow yourself to just for a moment believe there might be a speck of truth in what the other side believes and then if you still hold the same view, fine…but lets treat everyone with some respect here. Noone can deny there have been instances of extreme adverse reactions to vaccinations, can’t you all understand that some people might not want to take that risk for their babies? Is that so hard to understand?Its pretty hard these days to go against the grain when there is so much hype around this subject, we who have chosen not to vaccinate don’t try to push our beliefs on to others, its a personal choice one that we thankfully still have the right to make.
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Rachael – vaccination is recommended by experts in child health – the same GPs, early childhood nurses and paediatricians who look after your child if they get sick. Do you suspect their motives? Do you think they are corrupt? Why would they want to hurt children?
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most md’s have less knowledge of vaccines than someone reading http://www.mercola.com or dr blaylock .
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This line about drug companies being dishonest and greedy is such a load of rubbish! Yes they of course get paid for the vaccine – something has to pay for the millions they spend in R&D. If they really were greedy, don’t you think it would be better for them financially to let people get sick and have them forced to pay huge amounts for drugs to treat the problem? Hepatitis will leave the patient on medication FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIFE!!!
And not trying to push your beliefs on others? Because of you spending couple of hours on Dr Google and believing the claptrap of people like Dorey, there have been whooping cough outbreaks in Australia and measles outbreaks in the UK (among many other outbreaks)
The most disgusting thing about this debate is the fact that we are even having it. Ask people in the developing world, who face the reality of diseases you will never see in your lifetime – Polio, Rotavirus, MMR just to name a few. Their babies are dying because they cannot get a vaccine they so desperately want while you rant about ‘informed choice’ and the ‘risk to your baby’, dreamt up by fools like Wakefield and a former Playboy bunny.
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Very well said Jess! Can I also say that anyone interested in big business would be well aware that Pharma companies actually have comparatively small profit margins to other industries given they reinvest most of their money in R&D. No one would choose to make pharmaceuticals for a get rich quick scheme…
Why is it these antivaxers point fingers at the companies for making some money as well as independent doctors, nurses, scientists that stand to gain nothing for endorsing these vaccines? Oh right they have done some ‘research’….
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I’m thinking you should read more , drug companies are being fined billions of dollars for faulty drugs and vaccines every year . we live in the most dishonest period in history .A healthy baby breast fed and living in a clean environment will not need or benefit from dozens of injections that go through the blood brain barrier and inflame the brain, I have had measles ,german measles ,chickenpox , mumps flu , and no ill effects . All vaccines are dirty choose wisely.
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Can I explain to everyone why they still pay Concientious Objectors? So they actually have to listen to a trained G.P explain the benefits. And the financial incentive works. Vaccinations rates are actually are at an all time high of 92% which is great and has shown how well the system has worked. I have already seen people get tax benefit part A cut as they were behind in vaccinations by only one month so off they went to have them. Fue to this significant pay cut there will most likely be a rise in the vaccination rate again but also a rise in Concientious Objectors as more people will bother as thousands of dollars is at stake not a few hundred like before.
The rise in objections has accompanied a rise in vaccination rates so I really find it a bit hypocritical to call the AVN out for bogus statistics when your doing the same thing.
I agree that cutting the charitable funding of the AVN is a good idea though- clearly not a charity and government funded misinformation seems a bit silly.
maybe directing more funds towards a better whooping cough vaccine would be a more worthwhile cause then blaming the rise in this illness on unvaccinated people.
I would hate to see Concientious Objectors not paid Tax Benefit part A as the children then suffer – both medically and then financially and Dr’s don’t get an opportunity to really explain why vaccines are so important.
This web site and the people who comment need to make sure they have all the facts and figures and trust our scientists and medical bodies to make these decisions- they have the spin free facts – If we make it a political issue the uneducated masses with ideas warped by media spin are calling the shots which may not be in our best interests.
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The percentage you refer to a general nationwide percentage. You are right, it is one of the highest in the world.
However, the important point to remember is that vaccination rate percentages vary from area to area, and some suburbs now have rates that are lower than herd immunity thresholds for various diseases (I live in one with a current outbreak of whooping cough).
So it’s not alarmist to be concerned about rising CO rates – particularly if you live in one of these areas and you are part of the vulnerable, unvaccinated subgroup.
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I have no issue with advocating immunisation – Mamamia is very good at this and I am sure it does help get the message across. Abut it is not helpful to present facts out of context. Adjust because it is a good cause doesn’t make it right.
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Agreed, but your statistics also fail to take the area to area variation into account, which is currently becoming problematic – so one could argue your facts are also quite misleading.
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No I am mearly saying they can’t throw about a 500% figure that is not based on facts. I could not agree more with your point about areas of low vaccination( they are in the 80 something percent coverage- below the 90% needed for herd immunity). The 500% does not apply to this area either though as it is a national statistic and has no correlation to Byon Bay or New Town. From memory even these area have improved so the message is slowly being heard.
I like this article – http://ausmed.ama.com.au/are-conscientious-objectors-wrecking-our-immunisation-program
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The Immunisation Allowance stopped as of July 1, 2012. So whether or not the financial incentive was working it’s immaterial now. I think that alone makes this pledge so important.
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theAmandaroseThe incentive is even bigger and more effective now- family tax benefit part A.
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Did you also note the very weak proposed human biosecurity legislation currently out for comment? The government had a real opportunity to prevent unvaccinated travellers from bringing vaccine preventable diseases in from overseas and instead they are backing off on requiring either evidence of vaccination or at least proof that the unvaccinated traveller is not incubating a vpd. I am extremely disappointed.
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As an aside to this – Because of the original pledge article I finally got off my butt to make an appointment to receive adult booster shots. Had my appointment on Tuesday and my regular doctor was out sick so I had a different one. While he was lovely he just didn’t understand why I felt the need to get any shots at all. After a long conversation – where I admit I became a bit aggro while trying to sound knowledgeable about herd immunity, how important it was as a mother of a toddler and whatever else I could remember from reading on here – he finally gave me two prescriptions. He explained I had to get them filled and then bring it all back to another appointment next week where he’d administer them. Bit of a pita but at that point I was just happy that he finally agreed!
Went to the chemist next door to get the scripts filled thinking it’d save me some time next week. The pharmacist brings me a pre-filled syringe and some kind of powder and explains how the syringe needs to be kept between such and such temperatures in the fridge, I shouldn’t administer it myself, etc. Whoa hey now. I’m supposed to keep a filled syringe in my fridge, somehow hidden from the snoopiest child in the world at some specific temp for a week? Yeah, I don’t think so.
Surely if the medical and scientific communities agree about the importance of vaccination the process should be a bit simpler? Maybe I just got unlucky but this is a very large centre – actually the only one in our suburb. So I just wanted to give anyone else thinking about adult boosters the heads up to check with the procedure when you make your appointment so you’re prepared for it all. Hopefully I at least get a lollipop next week!
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Aahh, the beloved cold chain. Vaccines are meant to be kept between 2-8 degrees. If they freeze, they’re rendered useless, but if they get warmer, their expiration date gets changed/shortened depending on the temp they got to. Theoretically your GP surgery should have a fridge they monitor and keep between 2 and 8 degrees, it could be kept there. Otherwise, the pharmacist can keep them. If you were to get the vaccines the day beforeyour GP visit, you could keep it in your fridge in an insulated box and not in the door and it would still be right to use the next day. It can get a bit hard though and it shouldn’t be.
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Why don’t you just go over and get the script before the appointment? That’s what most people do. And at most GP’s the nurse just administers it. You get the script, walk over and buy it, then walk back and the nurse jabs you. Otherwise the GP should have a vaccine fridge you can store it in
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haha well I suppose most people don’t go to this medical centre as going to get the script and then coming back the same day wasn’t an option given to me or else I obviously would’ve taken. Going back for another appointment isn’t really how I prefer to use up my precious leave time. The doctor will be giving me my shots… he also made that perfectly clear during our chat.
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sounds like a pain in the ass, maybe you should look into other doctors that have a more convenient set up. I have never had a GP give me a vaccine, it’s always the practice nurse.
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We keep syringes in our fridge for my daughter. The snoopiest child is thankfully the one on the pointy end, so to speak, and she doesn’t go anywhere near them willingly.
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I shared it on my Facebook- I’m really hoping that some of my friends on there that don’t know about Mamamia will sign it too. Something definitely needs to be done about this issue but it sounds like you’re on the right track so a big thumbs up
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Question for the Mamamia Team –
I was just wondering about the figure of 500%. Has there been a 500% rise in parents choosing not to vaccinate their kids, or has there been a rise in parents discovering a loophole by which they can still claim the immunisation bonus even though they didn’t immunise?
Also, who would be included in the ‘concientious objector’ figure? For instance, I chose not to give my the first Hep B vaccination at birth. He has received every other vaccination on the schedule and will do so in the future. I’m guessing that he will not be classed as fully vaccinated and I will not be eligible for the immunisation bonus (nor will I be exploiting loopholes to get it). Would we be included in any figures on non-vaccinated children? Would I have been recorded as a conscientious objector?
I’m just trying to get my head round what these figures mean in real terms.
Thanks.
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I didn’t give birth hep b either. As long as you complete the 2,4,6 months doses you are still covered.
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Not trying to pick at you at all, just wondering why you didn’t give the birth one?
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We declined the birth hep b also. It was explained to me by my midwife. She advised that certain areas of indigenous communities have a higher prevalence of hepatitis b, and they recommend giving the hep b immunisation to newborns who are likely to come into contact with someone who has the disease. As the government cannot discriminate agains indigenous/non-indigenous or by location, they offer the vaccination to everyone. I personally was confident my newborn was not going to come into contact with someone who has the disease in the first 8 weeks, we barely left the house, so we declined it also. The immunisation allowance is no longer payable to anyone, due to the rising number of conscientious objectors still claiming their entitlement, which meant that it was pointless money being given away by the government.
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You know, I’m usually very willing to explain my opinion on any topic (whether asked for it or not!), but I feel as though part of the message Mamamia is trying to get across is that we should be wary of medical opinions from randoms on the internet with no medical background and a lack of scientific study to support their opinion. Unfortunately that desribes me perfectly!
Soooo, It’ll have to suffice to say that I spoke to our healthcare providers and decided that for our baby, with our lifestyle, culture, exposures etc etc, the dose at birth was not necessary. But he did receive it at 6 weeks, 4 months and 6 months. I do not believe that the Hep B vaccine is harmful nor do I disagree with the science behind it. I do believe however, that to turn it down without discussing it thoroughly with your healthcare providers would be stupid.
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Hi,
The birth hep b is not necessary for the title “fully vaccinated”, as long as all the other immunisations are up to date for age, including hep b which is in the infanrix hexa.
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You do realise that the birth hep b dose is the most effective one, don’t you?
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Thank you both for explaining to me why. x
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Hepatitis B can survive in a single drop of blood on a surface for up to two weeks.
The younger you are when you contract hep b, the more dangerous it is. People who contract it as babies are more likely to become chronic sufferers and develop cirrhosis or liver cancer in later life.
Until the birth dose of hep b was universally offered (rather than just to at-risk people), the incidence of chronic hepatitis b did not fall significantly. It is also worth noting that hep b can be missed in pregnant women, either through the test being overlooked or through incorrect results being reported.
I hope that was the information that your doctor gave you when they explained why the birth dose of hep b was offered to you for your infant.
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Yes, it was.
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And you still knocked it back. Wow.
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None of my kids are fully immunised (according to statistics) because they did half of them overseas and I never updated their details on the national register here.
So my guess would be that the figure is seriously inflated. It also seems a little too round to be anything but hyperbole to me.
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The figure shows the rise in objections but this has no correlation with actual vaccination rates which have rose in the same time frame from 80ish % to 94%.
The objections are a product of legislation brought in in 1998 to link the maternity payment to immunisation. People had o formally object in order to get the money. As the payment has risen more people have objected to claim it due to financial reasons.
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Hi Mamamia team, any chance of a reply? I would genuinely like to know.
Thanks
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