What do you think of Australia's vaccine policy?

[rampy]

I'm born and bred Aussie. We live in WA and kids here can't go to kindy or school
without having been vaccinated. I have a couple of British friends who were so offended that they needed to vaccinate their kids they home schooled because 'well we'll just go back to the uk' but they've stayed and now need to get their kids vaccinated because they have no friends their own age and can't go to school without vaccines.

You can't apply for child related benefits if your kid isn't vaccinated either here.

Having seen NZ have just declared a whooping cough epidemic Id say I agree with WA stance I'm honest!

Or some of us a privileged enough that we don't qualify for the child benefit anyway, and don't use childcare because we don't want to. If it doesn't affect you, it has no power. I'm fortunate to have a choice and feel for those who don't.

Draconian...and i'm pro vaccines.

I absolutely agree with you, in those circumstances I wouldn’t either but it’s the anti vaccination brigade who don’t vaccinate because someone’s aunts, brothers, friends, partner had a reaction that I’m concerned about!

I started being more selective about vaccines after my own experiences. I have since found reasons why we had a higher chance of issues with them, but that wasn't known for a long time after the fact. I think for a lot of people who have these experiences, the problem is that you get scared. In my experience, the doctors have no answers that can help reassure me or provide information that helps me weigh the odds for my family. Hence I continue to be cautious about vaccines and which we go with. I am privileged to have the choice since legislation and rules don't affect me personally.

I'd love to be one of those people who can go along for a vaccination, have a grizzly child for a short time, and have no concerns outside that. Then maybe I could say how everyone should do it and people who don't are silly.

I haven't read the whole thread, so I may have missed someone mentioning it, but a major point of vaccination is (sorry for shouting) POPULATION-LEVEL IMMUNITY. (.............paragraphs not working for me, so this represents paragraph breaks 😣.............)Depending on how contagious a disease is vaccination levels need to be higher or lower. Usually 95% vaccinated is sufficient to stop a disease spreading. Measles, for instance, (and covid now that we let it spread and mutate into higher virulence) require about 98% vaccination rates. .............................People who need medical exemptions are rare. Less than 2%. Medical exemptions are necessary and the need for them is rare enough that they don't change the ability of vaccinations to stop the spread of disease. Severe allergic reactions are a scary subset of conditions that warrant medical exemptions. We can test for susceptibility to that these days. Concerned people should be able to request an allergen test. (Not currently done since the tests aren't widely available and are expensive. That needs to change!) ................................As for the idea that vaccines may be okay in principle but they put weird stuff in them so they aren't okay: that's a mistaken evaluation of risk. .....................................1) The additives to vaccines are tested beyond thoroughly and reactions are very closely monitored. If the additives were causing even one-in-a-million reactions we'd know about it. (The additives are called "adjuvants" and help the immune system "see" the vaccine.) .............................2) If you're worried about that level of molecules in your body, what are you doing about the thousands of times higher doses of far more damaging molecules in air pollution? In the water? In food additives? Coming off your clothes as microplastic lint? Tire dust from cars on the road? I could go on. Those will kill you so many centuries before tiny amounts of thoroughly vetted adjuvants that it's like worrying a rowboat will swamp your beach house, instead of the supertanker actually bearing down on it.

My son, who had a strong reaction that affects .01% of those who get the vaccine, wouldn't be given a medical exemption. The reason? They don't understand why the reaction occurred. It's like it doesn't count because they can't explain it. Maybe if I doctor shopped I'd find one that would give it, but fortunately I have the choice, so don't have to go to those lengths. He's not having it ever again. Nor will any other child of mine. I think medical exemptions are not given a lot of the time when they should be. I've found many doctors to be 'vaccinate at all costs'.

YABU

i am not anti vaccines at all, but I do believe in human rights and autonomy. People should be able to choose what is right for them and their families. Being forced to vaccinate is coercion, and a slippery slope. It would feel to me like a police state rather than a free democracy..it’s too draconian.

So no, I don’t agree with this policy at all even though i have chosen to vaccinate my own children, I am happy the UK offers a choice.

I don't agree with it. DDs have always had all their vaccinations but it should be down to personal choice. Compulsion makes it harder to get genuinely required medical exemptions.

I'm am not bashing nursing at all, but you are not a doctor, you are not a virologist or a scientist. Your not even a nurse yet so I really don't think you should be giving advice about life saving treatments. Go to any graveyard and walk into the older sections before vaccination was a thing and count the number of children graves. Sometimes entire families were wiped out. Then go to the modern graves, very few children. I can't possibly wonder why 🤔

Wish we did that here.

If we focus on providing good and trusted information, coercion isn’t needed

we have done enormous damage through the coercion of Covid vaccines.

I've never had to do this

Nor me. The school simply have a medical record for each child, that is kept up to date. For safety reasons. It would not exclude a child being in school for instance.

They would be allowed a medical exemption, whilst benefiting from the herd immunity gained from a very sensible policy

I am pro vaccine but I disagree with any healthcare at all being mandated (or effectively mandated by restricting access to schools and benefits).

My children are fully vaccinated.

However, I strongly believe in informed consent for vaccines. Not being coerced. People do need to be aware of the risks of vaccines (like all medication) and weigh up these risks.

I can totally understand parents whose older child had a reaction to a vaccine, being very wary of vaccinating their younger children.

I'd be happy with this rule, assuming you had the appropriate medical exemptions (and I'd fully support making those require very high levels of proof).

When it comes to established medical treatments, I do actually think the state should be allowed to override parent's rights. Childhood vaccinations are so well established and so clearly evidenced that I'd consider someone who turns them down to be too uneducated to make medical decisions for their children.

My child is vaccinated with the common childhood vaccines. But never in a million years e we liked I allow him the covid vaccine. I had it and it’s left me with life long issues.

i think you need to specify which vaccines. I’m not keen on excluding any child from education. The decision for vaccines is purely the parents - it’s about having the right information available. I think a better idea is for the parent to hace to give a reason for not vaccinating.,

Where do you stand on the covid vaccine?

If the state is providing a service, they can make the rules.

Since when? Never been asked if my primary age children have been vaccinated. There are parents that opt out of the flu vaccination when they come to school.

I think the Aussie rule sounds fantastic. If you are going to be part of a community you help protect the people in it.

“Extra things”?

It's one of the best public health ideas since the NHS was introduced.
Back in the 80s they thought about linking benefits to vaccination in NZ; sadly, it didn't happen, and like other countries who are lax in their approach, they have outbreaks (as you indicated) of diseases that parents think are 'harmless'.

About time the UK followed suit, or make those who don't vaccinate pay for their or their child's treatment (obv excepting those kids who cannot be vaccinated for a medical reason, not because their parents are ignorant, selfish fools)

As long as there is the option to opt out of the state provided service then (which there is).

I didn't ask to be part of the community. I had no say in whether I was born. I'd be very happy to go live remotely and see few people, but the world doesn't lend itself to that very well. Forced to work.