Queensland Health Minister Cameron Dick says the proposed plan was about protecting children from preventable diseases like whooping cough and measles. Source: Supplied
CHILDCARE centres will be able to ban children who are not fully immunised, under a new plan from the Palaszczuk Government.
Health Minister Cameron Dick said it was about protecting children from preventable diseases like whooping cough and measles.
The new laws, introduced to Parliament last night, will give childcare centres the right to refuse or cancel enrolment of children if their parents can’t provide a certificate to prove their immunisation is up to date.
But Mr Dick stressed the proposed law would not force centres to ban children who are not fully immunised, but would protect them from liability if they did.
“Childcare centres will still have the discretion to admit children who are not fully immunised, where doing so is reasonable in the individual circumstances,” he said.
Mr Dick said Queensland’s immunisation rate was at 92 per cent, below the 95 per cent required for herd immunity.
“Herd immunity prevents the transmission of highly contagious conditions, such as measles, and protects those who are not immunised, such as babies who are too young to be immunised,” he said.
Parents would be able to obtain a Immunisation History Statement from the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register either online or from a Medicare office.
The Bill has now been referred to a Parliamentary committee for scrutiny.