Doctors fear diseases that belong in “history books” may make a comeback, as the number of children registered as conscientious objectors to vaccinations hit record levels.
The number of parents who are telling the federal government they won't be vaccinating their children has increased to 39,523 - almost ten times the number recorded 15 years ago.
The latest data, issued by the Department of Health last month, means that 1.77 per cent of all children were registered as conscientious objectors to vaccination in 2014.
The figures have prompted concern from the Australian Medical Association, which has called for government action in the form of education and access programs.
‘For goodness sake, talk to experts’
AMA Vice President Stephen Parnis said that the evidence in favour of immunisation was “absolutely incontrovertible”, but sometimes ignored by well-meaning parents.
Dr Parnis urged families to “for goodness sake, talk to experts”.
“These parents, often with the best of intentions, think that they know better than the overwhelming weight of evidence from the scientific profession,” he said.
“Sometimes they are susceptible to misinformation… In a world where social media means that anyone has a platform, it does not mean that they have the ability to understand what is truth and what is absolutely misinformation.”
Listen: Australian Medical Association Vice President Stephen Parnis speaks with Stephanie Anderson.
Dr Parnis said the increase in non-vaccinations would translate into an increased likelihood of outbreaks of diseases “that in recent years we were more likely to see only in the pages of medical textbooks”.
‘The Government is reviewing the current exemptions on vaccinations’
The figures are compiled annually as part of a process which allows parents to sidestep the welfare requirement to immunise their children.
Social Services Minister Scott Morrison told SBS that he was examining the current arrangements, which were put in place by the previous Labor Government.
"The Government is reviewing the current exemptions on vaccinations that apply to family tax benefit payments and child care subsidies as part of the families package to be delivered this year,” he said.
A spokesman for Shadow Health Minister Catherine King told SBS that Labor was "deeply concerned" about parents not immunising their children, and called on the government to act.
"The government should change the rules to crack down on so-called conscientious objectors by adopting the policy Labor took to the 2013 election, which limits exemptions strictly to religious beliefs," the spokesman said.
"Apart from those with genuine, deep-held religious beliefs, Labor believes there should be no exceptions and parents have no excuse for not getting their children immunised."
Comment has been sought from Health Minister Sussan Ley.
‘Risking their child’s health and the health of other children’
The policy, introduced by the former Labor Government, required immunisation in order to access welfare payments such as the Family Tax Benefit Part A supplement.
The loophole allows parents to avoid vaccinating their children by getting doctors to sign a form, citing the parents’ “personal, philosophical, religious or medical belief” against immunisation.
When introduced in 2012, the policy cited a $2100 incentive over three years for parents to vaccinate their children and stop “risking their child’s health and the health of other children”.
New data from the Department of Health showed that the percentage of parents registered as conscientious objectors to vaccination had more than doubled over past decade.
The data, updated in March, showed that the percentage of parents who held a “personal, philosophical, religious or medical belief that immunisation should not occur” increased from 0.23 per cent of parents in 1999 to 1.77 per cent by the end of 2014.
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