Australian doctors, parents back stance against anti-vaccination families

Medical organizations and parent groups aired strong support on Monday to the hardline stance taken by Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott against parents who choose not to vaccinate their children.

Abbott announced on Sunday parents who were conscientious objectors to childhood vaccinations would be stripped of family tax and childcare payments worth 11,700 U.S. dollars per year.

"The choice made by families not to immunize their children is not supported by public policy or medical research nor should such action be supported by taxpayers in the form of childcare payments, " Abbott said on Sunday.

Although Australia's childhood vaccination rates remain relatively high - at around 97 percent - the number of children under seven years of age recorded with conscientious objections rose for the 15th consecutive year in 2014 to 1.77 percent.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said he would support the payment restrictions and he did not accept people putting kids at risk by "claiming some sort of loose, undefined conscientious objection."

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) and Early Childhood Australia both backed the proposed laws but called for more public education to dispel anti-vaccination fears.

AMA President Professor Brian Owler said the message for vaccinations benefits had to continue year in year out. He said on Monday many new parents had become complacent because they haven't encountered these diseases in their lifetime.

The parents of four-week old Riley Hughes who was killed by whopping cough last month before he could be vaccinated said they welcomed the decision and hoped the money saved could be put towards a register of immunized adults.

"We would much rather use effective vaccination education to encourage people to make the right choice. At the same time, we acknowledge that this policy will improve childhood vaccination rates and save lives," Catherine and Greg Hughes said.