A controversial anti-vaccination group is encouraging people to sign up to a fake church because it may help them bypass Australia’s emerging “no jab, no play” childcare laws.
Under the NSW government’s 2013 law and the Victorian government’s proposed law due to start in 2016, children who are not fully immunised are unable to enrol in childcare unless their parents declare they have a medical reason or personal, philosophical or religious objection.
To document a conscientious objection, parents must take a Medicare form to a GP to receive counselling about the risks and benefits of immunisation. The doctor can then be asked to sign the form, which must be sent to the federal government’s department of human services.
The same form is required for families wanting to claim the Family Tax Benefit A, which is designed to assist with the cost of raising children.
But with some doctors refusing to sign the documents, the Australian Vaccination Skeptics Network Inc (formerly known as the Australian Vaccination Network, is spruiking the “Church of Conscious Living” as a religion that is opposed to vaccination.
A post on its facebook page recommends it for people who may not want to join the US-based Church of Christian Science “in order to get their children into preschool or childcare.” The Church of Christian Science is the only religion known to discourage vaccination.
But the the Church of Conscious Living, founded eight years ago, is not registered as a church or charity with the federal government’s Charities and Not-for-profits Commission, but rather a business with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
Furthermore, it appears to have been set up purely for people to claim exemption from vaccination. An AVN newsletter in December 2007 said the church was being created to make sure people’s rights to refuse vaccination are not eroded.
“We have decided to create a ‘religion’, so, amongst other things, we can claim ‘religious exemption’, if the need ever arises, for ourselves and our children,” it says, adding that it costs $25 to join.
Dr David Hawkes, a virologist and spokesman for pro-vaccination group, Stop the AVN, said the church was a devious sham designed to curtail proper discussion with a doctor about the science supporting the benefits of vaccination.
“None of the major religions, such as Judaism, Islam, Christianity, none of them have an issue with vaccination,” he said.
“If you’re 23 years old … and you choose not to have a blood transfusion or chemotherapy for cancer, I strongly believe that’s your right but these decisions are being made for children who do not have a say in it.”
A spokeswoman for the federal department of health said although it would “closely look” at the church, vaccination was not compulsory and parents could use any reason to refuse it.
“Setting up a church will not alter the requirement for parents to discuss vaccination with a doctor and obtain a signed objection form,” she said.
The spokeswoman said there was no legislative or legal obligation for a doctor to sign a conscientious objection form, but the Australian Medical Association advises doctors to respect a patients’ right to decide for their children after “the issues and risks have been explained to them”. It says if a doctor refuses to sign any such forms, they should make people aware of this in the waiting room before a consultation so they do not pay for a consultation and leave disappointed.
The Australian Vaccination Skeptics Association and Church of Conscious Living did not respond to calls for comment.
Victorian Minister for Health Jill Hennessy did not comment on the church but said: “People are entitled to their opinions, but let’s be very clear: not vaccinating a child puts them and other children at risk of dangerous diseases and illnesses.”