Doctors urge parents to immunise kids

26 Nov 2012, 6:22 pm   -   Source: AAP
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"There are now 30,000 children in Australia who are victims of their parents who are vaccine objectors," Professor Suzanne Cory from the Australian Academy of Science says. (AAP)

Parents who object to immunisation are turning their children into victims and endangering the wider community, doctors and scientists say.

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Parents who object to immunisation are turning their children into victims and endangering the wider community, doctors and scientists say.

A new booklet from the Australian Academy of Science has been launched aimed at giving parents the facts about immunisation and countering anti-vaccination "misinformation".

The academy's president, Suzanne Cory, says the number of vaccine objectors in Australia has been rising and that's a dangerous trend as thousands of children went unvaccinated.

"There are now 30,000 children in Australia who are victims, if you like, of their parents who are vaccine objectors," Professor Cory told reporters.

"These parents are not only putting their own children at risk, they're putting our society as a whole at risk."

She said the easy-to-read booklet, The Science of Immunisation, would be available in surgeries and online for parents making decisions about immunising their children.

People only had to visit cemeteries holding graves dating from the early 20th century to see how many hundreds of children died because there were no vaccinations, Prof Cory said.

Australian Medical Association President Steve Hambleton welcomed the new booklet as a timely counter to widespread misinformation on vaccinations that was confusing parents.

"There are many irrational fears out there and there are individuals feeding those irrational fears and it really is to the detriment of our young people."

Dr Hambleton said immunisation had saved hundreds of millions of lives and it was important to keep the momentum going to maintain "herd immunity".

That meant getting all children vaccinated to prevent disease outbreaks such as the recent one of measles in western Sydney, he said.

If the levels of herd immunity continued to fall, diseases that had not circulated in Australia for a long time would return, Dr Hambleton said.

The Science of Immunisation booklet can be downloaded free from the science academy's website.

Immunisatiion

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Ms

Meredith - from Pascoe Vale, Melbourne, 6 months ago

Can't find my post from a couple of days ago after receiving 12 down votes but it's not only Mercury preservatives from certain vaccines and flu shots that can cause autism but also aluminium toxicity. Anyone having blind faith in pharma companies are either too lazy or too neurologically damaged themselves to bother doing more than a few hours research of their own.

Immunity against stupidity?

Berengere - from Coogee, 6 months ago

Where's the jab against stupidity?? At the end of the day if you're vaccinated what do you fear? Would that mean that your immunization somehow knows your neighbour is not vaccinated and might then fail you? That's not science, that's fear mongering sponsored by the pharma industry... Says a lot about the level of so-called australian specialists... Oh and yes you should apply for yourself your advice! Get informed, do some research and stop being brain washed!

Fear tactics

Faiza - from Epping , 6 months ago

They are using fear tactics to urge parents to immunise their kids. Only beneficiaries in this are the Pharmaceutical companies. Parents should be given the right to choose for their children.

Mr

Daniel - from Pymble, 6 months ago

My wife (ex GP) and I have 7 healthy children. We object to vaccination on the grounds that injecting mercury and aborted foetal tissue (moral objection) apart from other known carcinogens (conscientious objection) into our children is, regardless of statistics, plainly abhorrent. Time will tell. I believe there are many qualified PhD academics who share a similar concern. There are many Vaccines that use aborted fetuses.

More good than evil

RR - from Brisbane, 6 months ago

You're all idiots if you cannot see that immunizations are working to the greater good of society, while they may cause side effects in a minimal few. The benefit that modern society has reaped from advances in science is astonishing. We now live up to 25 + years longer than 100 years ago - how can you say that modern day science and immunizations aren't good. Stop endangering society and get your children immunized!!!!

Don't take the risk! Research!

Mama26 - from Katherine NT, 6 months ago

When you look for a cough syrup you are asked, what sort of cough rough, dry etc. When it comes to immunisations we have a one size fits all, no pre tests, no questions? When something goes wrong it's the family and child who suffer not the doctors or the pharmaceuticals. My girlfriend has been through hell & back since her son changed dramatically, immediately after his 18mnth immunisation. Diagnosed with Autism who will immunise them from the heartbreak? It's a life sentence you can't escape!!

Immunization is necessary

pete - from ryde, 6 months ago

Most parents who are 30-40 years old have no idea what polio is. 1 or 2 generations ago parents did not hesitate when it was time to vaccinate because they knew what they were protecting their kids from. And to the comment from Chris: should we be trusting "Companies, professors and governments"? Yes we should, probably more the professors than the other two.

The benefits far outweigh the risks

Bethany - from Sydney, 6 months ago

It is important to note that in rare cases getting jabs can cause a bad reaction. However preventing the spread of diseases we could gain control of is far more important in the long run. "Alternative therapies" like herbs will not protect your kids from whooping cough, that's the reason we turned to actual scientific medicine in the first place. I find it foolish when people distrust dem evil sciencey guys about what's in vaccines, but will swallow some unqualified guy's claims about "toxins".

False balance not right

DD - from Hawthorn, Vic, 6 months ago

The SBS World News story on immunisation concluded that "It's hard to know who's right" on whether to immunise children. Why does the SBS give equal weight to decades of epidemiological and immunological research, as well as the ill-informed anti-vaccination lobby. This is not journalistic balance, merely propagation of doubt and mis-information. Not impressed, SBS!

Immunizations can cause people to get sick

Jackie - from Edgewater, 6 months ago

When I was about 16 I got tetanus from an injection. It was mild and symptomatic but I shudder to think what the effect would have been if I was an infant of toddler. I'm not against immunization I encourage it but I believe there are risks involved in immunization proven through personal experience. My personal preference is not to avoid immunization but where possible minimize them. My preference would be to avoid multi dose injections. Perhaps the population needs to be offered alternatives.

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