Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Hansard source

I am pleased to take a question from the member for Lyne, whose 30-odd years in clinical practice have proved a valuable source of advice to me in the development of health policy. The member for Lyne was involved in my early consultations on how we might approach reviewing and reshaping the MBS, and I thank him for that.

The coalition has a strong track record when it comes to improving immunisation rates. The Howard government increased immunisation rates from around 50 per cent in the 1990s to around 90 per cent today. While immunisation rates in Australia are considered to be high at just over 90 per cent, this is still short of the 95 per cent needed to ensure herd immunity for highly contagious diseases like measles—a point very well made by the member for Lyne.

We should never rest on our laurels when it comes to our immunisation rates, and any minister who sees them hovering a little bit below 95 per cent should do all they can to run the necessary education campaigns to encourage Australians to vaccinate their children, because in recent times we have seen a rise in conscientious objectors and complacency. While we measure national rates, and that is obviously important, we also know that there are pockets—perhaps some quite close to the member for Lyne's electorate—where quite large numbers of individuals choose not to vaccinate their children. That is nearly always because of conscientious objection, and that conscientious objection comes from a very uninformed place.

The approach that we have taken has been a very determined one. We also know that, because of the number of vaccinations that children now have—starting from birth and going into their school years, before you might pick up adult boosters—it is really important to keep track of these. We are going to add to the national register; we are going to improve it and make sure that these vaccinations are included. I certainly know, as does the member for Lyne based on the communities that he is in touch with, that sometimes it is not conscientious objection that is the reason you do not have your children vaccinated. It is because in the chaos of your everyday life it is very hard to keep track of the number of children you may be responsible for and the number of vaccinations they all need to have. I certainly understand that is why the availability of a national register that can be interrogated by doctors is important.

We are also providing a program that gives incentive payments to doctors to round up those recalcitrants, bring them in and get them vaccinated. Parents are really giving me a positive response, saying: 'We appreciate that help. We don't mind a call from our local clinic saying, "We understand that your child is due for an 18-month booster, and we haven't seen them".' These things are really important, and they add to the general picture. I was privileged, but also very sad, to meet the parents of two babies who died from whooping cough. That, to me, was the strongest possible feedback from parents who, while suffering a terrible loss in their own lives, were determined that they would be part of a campaign that increased vaccination rates.

When I was a child, everyone had whooping cough vaccinations. When my children were children, everyone was vaccinated. It is quite alarming that there is this view that it might not be the best thing to do. While we know that encouragement is always the best approach, I am very supportive of the approach of my colleague the Minister for Social Services, with the 'no jab no pay' policy around not providing family tax benefits to parents who have not vaccinated their children, because in this area a stick as well as a carrot is needed.

We know that the responsibility does rest on parents, and sometimes when you connect that responsibility with a payment, such as family tax benefit, people's approach might change. It is vital that, as a government, we stay on top of this and keep our vaccination rates as high as possible. Remember that by vaccinating everyone who can be vaccinated, you protect those who cannot. People with autoimmune conditions and the very elderly cannot be vaccinated. By keeping the vaccination level up, we also look after those individuals.

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