First, the Government introduced the No Jab No Play policy, seeing parents refusing to vaccinate their children fined a one-off $726 supplement.
Now, new reforms could see anti-vaxxing families lose as much as $28 per child a fortnight as the Turnbull Government closes in on a loophole in the Family Tax Benefit scheme.
As reported by The Courier Mail, the Government’s push for eradicating no-immunisation rates comes after research conducted by the Health Department showed low vaccination rates particularly on the Sunshine Coast, far north Queensland and the Gold Coast hinterland.
Alarmingly, more than 23 per cent of children aged 24-27 months in the Noosa region aren’t fully vaccinated. Not only that, but 14 per cent of kids aged between 12-63 months in the Gold Coast hinterland aren’t fully vaccinated, either.
“These parents are not only putting their own children’s health at risk, but the health of every other person’s children at risk, too,’ Social Services Minister Christian Porter told The Courier-Mail.
“Reducing fortnightly payments rather than withholding the supplement at the end of the year as occurs at present, will serve as yet another constant reminder for parents to have their children’s immunisation requirements up to date.”
It is believed that the No Jab No Pay policy, due to roll out next year, will apply to 1.5million Australian families, with around 134,000 of those families ineligible for because they have failed to have their children vaccinated.
For more information about the vaccinations your child is required to have, book an appointment with a trusted GP.
