Doctors warn: $7 Medicare co-payment could affect vaccination rates.

There might just be a new threat to vaccination levels in Australia. And this time, it’s not anti-vaxxers.

It’s the Federal Government.

How so? Because under the 2013-14 Budget, the $7 Medicare co-payment will apply to each and every visit to the doctor (for up to 10 visits), including visits to receive vaccinations.

The Australian Medical Association has revealed that important childhood vaccination visits will now incur the $7 fee – where previously they were free under the bulk-billing system. There will not be exceptions for low-income earners.

Now, as the continued debate about the $7 co-payment proves, there are many who don’t think that this amount of money is a significant burden. But as Jessica Kaufman writes for The Drum:

The current vaccination schedule requires six separate GP visits to receive vaccines in the first 18 months of a child’s life.

Let’s imagine a fairly typical scenario: a family with young children has a bad week – the power bill is due, the car breaks down, one kid has an ear infection and the baby is due for a vaccination.

If there is not enough to cover every expense, which one do you think will get dropped or postponed?

The danger that comes when children have their vaccinations delayed is that a child’s vaccination schedule is not being followed. Currently, children are vaccinated with a specific amount of time between each of their doses. As soon as they are “under-vaccinated”, they may be more susceptible to diseases – and more likely to spread diseases to other children around them.

Especially babies, or children with compromised immune systems.

AMA President associate professor Brian Owler told The World Today, “If you’re putting up a financial barrier to do that, for them to go and see their GP, it goes against the grain of what we’ve been arguing about the importance of preventative healthcare.”

He also revealed that, “We’re going to speak to the Government. The minister has indicated that he is willing to talk about the issue of co-payments and we’ll take him up on that opportunity.

Obviously there’s been an indication from other members of the Senate that they will be blocking the passage of the legislation. We will talk to both sides of politics about the issue of co-payments and their response.”

Last year, Tony Abbott said on the topic of vaccinations: “We have to be vigilant; otherwise we will get dangerous outbreaks that will put kids at risk of serious diseases that are totally avoidable. As a former health minister, I know how crucial high immunisation rates are to control deadly infectious diseases.”

But does this new budget measure directly contradict those aims?

Dave Townsend, a spokesperson for CoPay Stories, which is a group of doctors who have banded together to share their concern about the effects of the $7 co-payment, says, “I think there is little doubt that this measure will have an impact on immunization rates, at a time when we should be doing everything possible to encourage parents to vaccinate their children.”

“If the government was serious about supporting those most in need of preventive health care, they would at the very least waive the co-payment for children, people with chronic disease and other vulnerable members of our community,” he adds.

“Even in New Zealand, where they have had a co-payment system for a number of years, they waive the co-payment for children under eight. In recent weeks, the NZ government has announced their intention to increase this age to 13.”

He says that the government needs “to allow health professionals to do their job and care for the community, instead of working as tax collectors.”

As Kaufman for ABC continues:

It is baffling to see the Government create a new barrier that could lower vaccination rates and expose vulnerable citizens to disease. When vaccination rates fall and rates of diseases we once controlled begin to rise, family income level won’t offer much protection.

What this budget does, ultimately, is remove access to vaccination for those who cannot afford the co-payment, and punish vulnerable people in our population when vaccine-preventable diseases return.

Many advocates – including Mamamia – have fought long against the dangerous misinformation about immunisations spread by anti-vaccination groups. And finally, it has started to feel like people are paying attention.

Like people are taking the threat of vaccine-preventable diseases seriously.

And now, there is another barrier being placed between children and the vaccinations that will keep them safe. What’s worth more? A rapid return to budget surplus or the lives of children whose parents can’t afford all those doctor visits?