New Zealand Not Forcing Parents To Immunise Children, Rules Out Australia's 'No Jab, No Pay' Policy

New Zealand will unlikely follow Australia’s “no jab, no pay” immunisation policy. Australian parents who refuse to have their children vaccinated stand to lose thousands of dollars every year in benefits.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said the government will not revisit a proposal that will make immunisation a condition of the family benefit despite overwhelming evidence favouring vaccination. The government had been against a similar measure in 2012 since it left the immunisation up to the parents, reports New Zealand Herald.

Mr Key had announced that the previous decision will not be reviewed. “Ninety-four percent of children are vaccinated, the vast bulk of parents take the important step to vaccinate their children, and I applaud them for that,” said the prime minister.

Mr Key believes “an element of personal choice” should be present. He said if the state forced children to be vaccinated, the government will carry the burden of responsibility should the children suffer a medical reaction or worse, death.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott had announced that his government will reduce the grounds on which people can object to have their children immunised. He said parents in Australia will only receive the family tax benefit for their unvaccinated children on religious or medical grounds.

Australia’s “no jab, no pay” policy will close a legislative loophole as Australian parents who refuse to have their children immunised will lose up to $15,000 a year. TVNZ reports that around 39,000 children under seven in Australia are not yet vaccinated.

New Zealand’s immunisation rate stands at 94 percent and the country’s medical association does not see a need to adopt the same policy. The New Zealand government had considered making immunisation a condition to the benefit in 2012 but Paula Bennett, who was then the Social Development Minister, objected to the proposal.

Bennett said the decision should be on the parents since vaccination is a medical treatment. She believes removing the right to refuse medical treatment would be a violation of New Zealand’s Bill of Rights.

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