Whether or not to vaccinate your kid is a controversial topic that is sure to get parents everywhere in a fight on the school playground. Seriously. In an ultra bold move, Australia is ready to penalize parents who decide not to vaccinate their kids, according to ABC News.
Starting this year, Australia is enacting a new policy many non-vaccinating parents won’t love: benefits will be withheld from parents who don’t vaccinate, which includes things like childcare rebates. The policy itself is being referred to as “No Jab, No Pay.” For real.
READ: How NOT to Talk to Others About the Vaccination Debate
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott told ABC News:
“It’s a very important public health announcement, it’s a very important measure to keep our children and our families as safe as possible.”
Australia’s hard stance on the vaccination debate has come with some measure of success, as the rate for outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases is actually much lower than North America’s with the 2014 figure standing at 2,614 outbreaks. Conversely, the North American rate for that same year was 58,051. That’s a huge difference. In 2015, the United States suffered from the first measles death in 12 years.
Do you think Australia’s new policy is right? Or do you think governments shouldn’t be able to dictate what parents choose for their children’s health?
