Childcare centres in Queensland may soon be able to turn away children if they have not been vaccinated.
The Queensland health minister, Cameron Dick, said he plans to introduce legislation by the end of the year, granting childcare operators to reject enrolments of children if they aren’t vaccinated.
The Brisbane Times reports Mr Dick called the iniative a “critically important public health strategy for adults and children”.
“Labor will honour its election commitment to introduce legislation that empowers child care services to make decisions on whether to enrol children based on the vaccination status of those children,” he announced.
“The proposed legislation will be designed to protect children and workers from preventable diseases by allowing childcare centres to refuse enrolment to children who are not fully immunised.”
He also stated he would enage in consultation with interested members of the public.
Related content: Child welfare payments should be dependent on vaccinations.
However, head of the Queensland branch of the Australian Medical Association, Shaun Rudd, said it was unreasonable to bar children from play for their parents’ decions — although he said exceptions could be made in the event of a breakout.
“There is the situation where a virus may be going around, say measles, in that area, then people could be able to look at what kids haven’t been immunised against and say ‘well, sorry, you can’t come along’,” he said.
“I think that is reasonable that you don’t allow kids around when there is an outbreak, but I think not allowing them in just because their parents are against vaccination is a bridge too far.”
The New South Wales government has previously passed a “no jab, no play” law, similar to that proposed in Queensland, and Victoria is also set to introduce “no jab, no play” laws.
The Brisbane Times reports the number of parents who refuse to immunise their children has risen in recent years.
*Related content: Childhood vaccination dates are dates you don’t want to forget. Now, you never will.
Research released by the federal government last year showed the number of parents lodging conscientious objection forms with the Childhood Immunisation Register had risen to its highest level since 1999.
Would you support “no jab, no play” legislation? Let us know in the comment section, below.
Top Comments
It's completely within a parent's right to conscientiously object to any vaccinations they see fit, but they need to remember that their decision has an impact on others, and this impact could be negative. If their child catches, say, measles, they could pass that onto a baby or child who is too young to be immunised and therefore cause serious health problems or death. On the other hand, a parent's decision to vaccinate their child has absolutely no negative impact on others. If you are paying to send your child to daycare, you are paying for your children to be kept safe, as is your right. That's not really the case when there are un-vaccinated children in the same daycare. Whose rights are more important? A parent's right to have their child safely attend daycare/school, or a parent's right to decide what goes into their child's body? At the end of the day, if you knowingly make a decision which may negatively impact others, even when it is entirely within your right (and you believe you have made the right decision for your child) then my opinion is that you need to bear the consequence of this. I don't mean consequence as 'punishment' either, but I think homeschooling your child in response to this decision is quite fair. Besides, if you are conscientiously objecting to procedures thrust upon you by societal indoctrination and apparently not evidence-based-science, as it were, then why do you want to send your child to a government institution? If you can't afford to quit your job and homeschool, well....that's something you need to weigh up before choosing not immunising your child I suppose. As the saying goes, "you can't have your cake and eat it too".
No free rights any more in Australia, it is sad to see every Australian that thinks this is a great idea so brain dead and so stupid. It is funny that the US always trail run their criminal plans in Aus before they take it on. We are the puppets for the US criminals. We should rename Australia to North Korea! Nothing is different. Our children are not even allowed to have an education unless they have vaccinated, what a cartel movement. They Pharma companies are jumping for joy - saying money money money......