Well, the politicians are at it again, trying to remove peoples right to decline a medical procedure or treatment. That Pretty well sums it up. To be specific this time they are proposing removing anti-vaccine parents Family Tax Benefit Part A.
At the moment Family Tax Benefit part A is tied in with childhood immunisations. However it is also redeemable by sending in a formal Conscientious Objection Form, declaring that you will not be vaccinating your child for religious or philosophical beliefs. The government is wanting to scrap this and make laws stating that a parent cannot receive this means tested financial supplement without the child being vaccinated.
To be absolutely clear as always this blog is NOT anti-vax nor pro-vax, it is pro-choice, supporting parents whether they choose vaccinations or not.
Firstly, WHY such a move is unethical:
Anti-vax parents are still tax payers. The Abbott government is careful to make it sound to the public as if Anti-vax parents aren't a working part of society and are riding on the backs of society. This is of course untrue. Anti-vaxers look like regular people and you'd have no idea if the person next to you at work is vaccinated or not unless they tell you- Anti-vaxers DO go to work same as everyone else. School and childcare too. This "Tax Benefit" is something absolutely everyone pays like a big crowd fund. Then it is MEANS TESTED and if you are a candidate for the benefit the government essentially gives you back your own money. Not allowing parents who don't vaccinate to receive this benefit while making them pay the tax towards this fund is essentially robbing them. And because the supplement is means tested this means that already vulnerable children will be made more vulnerable. How is that fair or ethical to punish a child for a choice of their parents?
Secondly, WHY it won't work:
It won't work because Anti-vaxers are Anti-vaxers. They deeply, strongly oppose vaccinations and even if the government fined them for not vaccinating the only thing they would say is "send me the bill Abbott!" Strong Arm tactics don't work.
After asking around some of my strongly Anti-vaccine contacts it soon became apparent that Australia would have another problem should vaccines become law. undocumented citizens because every single parent that I asked told me that they would simply free birth and not register their children because if they are only going to be persecuted for their choice and receive nothing for their trouble then they would rather not register their child and just fund it all themselves. They'll be doing it alone anyway.
The only outcome from such a decision would be that parents won't discuss vaccinations with their doctors at all. They won't bother lodging their exemption forms and as a result the government would actually have no idea who is vaccinating and who isn't. This blogger had some well worth reading points on this and is worth having a look at.
Thirdly, WHY the public should care:
You may be comfortable with todays vaccine schedule, heck you may even agree with making vaccines a legal requirement. But the list is constantly changing, what if one day you are suddenly not comfortable with it? you won't be able to say no thanks.
Also this action would begin the slippery slope into mandated and forced medical procedures. How does a forced Caesarian sound? what about a forced natural birth? forced sterilization of disabled persons? What if you had cancer that was in it's final stages and you wanted to go home and die in peace and relative comfort but the Dr could force you to continue Chemo until the day you died so that the rest of your days were spent horrendously nauseous and in agony from the chemicals coursing through your already dying veins? what about losing the right to have an abortion? The right to carry a terminal baby to term and birth them and love them for the time you have with them? There is always something that can be pushed that you won't personally agree with.
Human beings have basic personal rights. One of them is the right to choose to decline a medical intervention. vaccinations are just that- an intervention. Most people believe they are life giving but who is willing to give up their choice to change their mind? who is really going to be up for relinquishing their rights in exchange for a system where the government plays nanny and "consents" on behalf of every individual in the country?
Vaccines are not the issue here, human rights, bodily integrity and personal security is. And if the government can change one law to make a medical procedure, even a potentially good medical intervention mandatory or financially forced. Then it paves the way for other medical interventions to become law. And nobody wants that.
