FAMILIES have welcomed new legislation that has come into effect in NSW to help protect children in child care centres from preventable diseases.
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The new law ensures that a child cannot be enrolled at a child care facility unless the parent or guardian provides an official immunisation record proving the child is fully immunised, or an approved exemption is provided.
The changes send a clear message to parents the NSW Government is serious about protecting the health of children from the devastating consequences of vaccine-preventable diseases, and the wider community.
Local mother Jac Humphries said she couldn’t understand why some parents would put their children at risk by not having them properly vaccinated.
“If you put one child who does not have their vaccinations up to date with another child who does, you’re only putting your own child at risk.
“At the end of the day the child is the one who is disadvantaged because in some cases their parent couldn’t be bothered or thought they knew best.”
Mrs Humphries said she would like to see the current legislation extended to organised play groups.
“No-one is an expert but a doctor and if a doctor says it is important for a child to be vaccinated, then it’s up to the parent to listen to them.”
However, these proposed amendments to strengthen requirements involving vaccinations for childcare will not affect enrolments in primary schools.
“All of my friends are for compulsory vaccinations and all of my children are up to date,” she said.
Local GP Dr Leslie Woollard believed compulsory vaccinations were a significant way forward.
“In the 1950s we had a polio epidemic and on average one child in every class suffered from polio. Then the vaccinations came in and it disappeared.
“I’ve only had two near-deaths involving children and on both occasions they were unvaccinated.”
Dr Woollard labelled it “insanity” that there were people in the wider community who believed vaccines were more dangerous than the disease they were protecting against.
“I believe in what we call ‘herd immunity’ where if enough people are immunised the disease cannot exist.
“The community cannot allow people to remain unvaccinated,” he said.
See the photos for locals opinions on the new laws...
