A small minority of Australians have some concerns over the safety of childhood vaccines, new research has found.
The study, conducted by the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) in conjunction with the SBS documentary production Jabbed, found most Australians believe vaccines are safe, and support childhood immunisation.
Just 4 per cent have concerns about safety, a figure Professor Robert Booy, Head of the Clinical Research team at NCIRS says is on par with the broader pattern of childhood immunisation in Australia.
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"Around three or four per cent of people don't get their children immunised, so that figure doesn't surprise me."
"But I hasten to add, more parents fully immunise their children than vote for Labor, Liberal and Greens combined."
"The proportion of people who are getting their children vaccinated in Australia remains refreshingly high."
Professor Booy says although immunisation is the "safest way" to protect children against large numbers of illnesses, "occasionally we have things that don't go to plan, like fever reaction to flu vaccine."
"We have to recognise there's a problem, state there's a problem and deal with it."
Older Australians -- and particularly grandparents -- are more strongly supportive of vaccination, and have more experience with some vaccine-preventable diseases, according to the survey results.
The research will be used in a new documentary exploring Australian attitudes to vaccination.
Jabbed: Love, Fear and Vaccines will be televised on SBS ONE on Sunday night (May 26) at 8.30pm.
