The Federal Government has announced extensive reform to Australia’s childhood immunisation arrangements that will remove tax benefits from families that opt out of immunisation.

 

The Federal Government has announced the following reform actions:

  • Families will now need to have their children fully immunised to receive the $726 Family Tax Benefit Part A end-of-year supplement.
  • A new immunisation check will be introduced for one year olds to supplement the existing immunisation checks at two and five years of age.
  • This means that over the three immunisation check points, families will have an incentive of more than $2,100 to ensure their child is fully immunised.
  • Children will for the first time be required to receive vaccines for meningococcal C, pneumococcal and varicella (chicken pox).
  • A combination vaccine will replace individual doses of vaccine for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chicken pox) – which means children will be immunised against measles, mumps and rubella earlier, at 18 months instead of the current four years of age.

 

Under the reform package, families will be required to have their children fully immunised to receive the Family Tax Benefit Part A end-of-year supplement.

 

The supplement, worth $726 per child each year, will now only be paid once a child is fully immunised at one, two and five years of age.


These new requirements will be implemented at a new immunisation check point at one year of age, along with the existing check points at two and five years of age.

 

From 1 July 2013, children will also be required to receive vaccines for meningococcal C, pneumococcal and varicella (chicken pox) to be assessed as fully immunised. The Government expects that these requirements, which have been recommended by immunisation experts, will help lift the vaccination rates for each of these diseases.

 

Existing exemptions will continue to be available for people who register as conscientious objectors to immunisation.