A new QLD law may be introduced by January 2016 that enables childcare centres in Queensland to reject enrolments based on immunisation status.
QLD childcare centres will be given a choice of whether to accept children who are not fully vaccinated and would be legally protected if they choose to refuse enrolment.
QLD Health Minister Cameron Dick said that contagious but preventable diseases such as whopping cough and measles are still affecting children, and it's time to do more.
"Every year there are tragic cases that highlight the importance of ensuring everyone in your family is fully immunised" Mr Dick said in a statement. "We want to empower childcare centres to talk to parents about their child's immunisation needs and encourage families to vaccinate".
This proposes law will give power to local QLD child care centres to make those decisions and to legally refuse children who are not vaccinated.
In Australia more than 39,000 children under the age of 7 are not vaccinated because their parents are vaccine objectors. The Government is extremely concerned at the risk this poses to other young children and the broader community.
From January 01, 2016 by the Commonwealth Government "no jab no pay" will come into effect and families who do not vaccinate their children will not be able access government payments such as the Child care benefit and Childcare rebate and the family tax benefit.
The choice made by families not to immunise their children is not supported by public policy or medical research nor should such action be supported by taxpayers in the form of child care payments.
Source: News.com.au, Brisbane Times, Liberal.org.au
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