Dan
2013-08-18 12:11:38 UTC
http://skep.li/19r4Yd8
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott backs Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's tougher
stance on vaccination 'in principle'
LAUREN NOVAK AND LANAI SCARR NEWS LIMITED NETWORK AUGUST 18, 2013
11:15AM
OPPOSITION Leader Tony Abbott said he supported the Government's tougher
stance on vaccination "in principle".
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has promised to strip parents who refuse to
vaccinate their children of family payments worth more than $2000.
Mr Abbott said the Coalition supported "in principle ... the idea of all
reasonable measures to ensure that vaccination rates are high".
"I think the government is, I suppose, to be commended for at least
being aware of the problem," he said.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is today expected to announce the lifting of
the existing exemption for such parents in a bid to lift childhood
immunisation rates.
Under the proposal children will have to be fully immunised in order to
receive the Family Tax Benefit Part A end-of-year supplement.
The supplement is worth $726 per child each year. It is only paid once a
child is fully immunised at one, two and five years of age.
The government argues this provides families with an incentive of more
than $2100 to ensure their children are fully immunised.
Under the latest Rudd proposal, exemptions will apply on medical and
religious grounds only.
The existence of unimmunised children has given rise to concerns that
children in some communities are at risk of contracting diseases such as
measles and whooping cough.
"The science cannot be disputed,'' Mr Rudd said.
"Immunisation is the safest and most effective way for parents to
protect their children from disease, and one of the most important
public health measures at our disposal.''
- With wires
###
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott backs Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's tougher
stance on vaccination 'in principle'
LAUREN NOVAK AND LANAI SCARR NEWS LIMITED NETWORK AUGUST 18, 2013
11:15AM
OPPOSITION Leader Tony Abbott said he supported the Government's tougher
stance on vaccination "in principle".
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has promised to strip parents who refuse to
vaccinate their children of family payments worth more than $2000.
Mr Abbott said the Coalition supported "in principle ... the idea of all
reasonable measures to ensure that vaccination rates are high".
"I think the government is, I suppose, to be commended for at least
being aware of the problem," he said.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is today expected to announce the lifting of
the existing exemption for such parents in a bid to lift childhood
immunisation rates.
Under the proposal children will have to be fully immunised in order to
receive the Family Tax Benefit Part A end-of-year supplement.
The supplement is worth $726 per child each year. It is only paid once a
child is fully immunised at one, two and five years of age.
The government argues this provides families with an incentive of more
than $2100 to ensure their children are fully immunised.
Under the latest Rudd proposal, exemptions will apply on medical and
religious grounds only.
The existence of unimmunised children has given rise to concerns that
children in some communities are at risk of contracting diseases such as
measles and whooping cough.
"The science cannot be disputed,'' Mr Rudd said.
"Immunisation is the safest and most effective way for parents to
protect their children from disease, and one of the most important
public health measures at our disposal.''
- With wires
###