Two years ago the Australian government decided to implement a controversial measure in order to increase the vaccination rates of children. This measure, whose motto was "Without a flat tire there is no pay", was to not give, to parents who do not vaccinate, the aid that is usually received when having a baby (families with children receive about 10,800 euros a year per child to cover the costs of their care).
Now they have decided to take another twist with a new measure called "No puncture, no game", for which children who are not vaccinated may not have a place in nursery schools.
They want to increase vaccine coverage
Australia is one of the continents where more parents have decided to stop vaccinating their children, and that meant that for a few years the vaccine coverage dropped to figures close to 90%. It is considered that the best coverage, being the one that causes group immunity, is in 95% of vaccinated children (or more, of course).
As we read on ABC, they are now in figures of 93%, very close to that 95%, and that is why the government has wanted to push a little more so that more children receive the vaccines provided in the vaccine schedule.
Once this figure is achieved, vaccination will be considered sufficient to protect infants who are still small to be vaccinated and children allergic to any component of the vaccine, or who, because they are sick, cannot receive them.
What fault do children have?
Discordant voices have not taken long to appear, as explained in NewScientist: education professionals have stated that although the initiative could be useful to increase vaccination coverage, many children, children of parents who do not want to vaccinate, will miss the possibility from receive a quality formal childhood education.
Also, many children from disadvantaged families, less likely to have all vaccines, could be even more isolated by not having access to education.
That is why it is suggested that efforts continue to be made to remember the importance of children being vaccinated, as well as sending reminders to parents so that they have proof that their children lack a vaccine, but not leave them without a place.
And which method would be more effective? Well, it's hard to tell. What is clear is that the more children who have been vaccinated, the better overall health the children will have, as they do not suffer from major illnesses that have not suffered for a long time, precisely thanks to vaccines.
And when a part of the population has decided not to put them on, it should not be easy to get the coverage to rise, not only to protect those children, but also those who cannot get vaccinated for other reasons.
