In an interesting new development in the anti-vaccination controversy, the NSW legislature has passed new laws allowing child care centres to refuse children who cannot demonstrate proof of vaccinations.
The New South Wales Parliament has passed new laws covering childcare centres and vaccination.
From next January, a childcare centre can refuse to enrol a child whose parents or guardians cannot show proof of vaccination or provide an approved exemption.
Health Minister Jillian Skinner says parents who are seeking an exemption will first need to speak to a general practitioner.
Childcare centres will face fines if they do not complete checks to ensure a child is vaccinated, or that they have exemption.
Health experts have warned of increasing instances of whooping cough across the state, which they attribute to low immunisation rates.
A recent report found that in the far north coast town of Mullumbimby, less than half of young children were fully immunised.
This move comes amid a recent trend to not vaccinate children, spearheaded by the Australian Vaccination Network (AVN). The AVN has come under a lot of public scrutiny in recent times for its anti-vaccination stance. Perhaps most importantly in this was an issuing of an order by the New South Wales Office of Fair Trading ordering the AVN to change its name after describing it as being "misleading and a detriment to the community." The AMA has consistently rejected the claims of the AVN and supports the vaccination of children in order to prevent or reduce transmission of disease.