No Jab, No Play: $5.5m plan to convince parents to vaccinate children

EXCLUSIVE: The federal government will spend $5.5 million over three years on a national immunisation awareness campaign to convince hesitant parents to vaccinate their children.

The Save the Date to Vaccinate campaign will target areas of low vaccination rates by addressing myths. Picture: iStock

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THE federal government will spend $5.5 million over three years on a national immunisation awareness campaign to convince hesitant parents to vaccinate their kids.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said the yet to be named campaign would “specifically target areas of low vaccination rates by ­addressing myths and misconceptions, while explaining the benefits of childhood vaccinations for both the individual and the community”.

In another win for The Sunday Telegraph’s No Jab No Play/Pay campaign, the government has answered our calls to fund the awareness campaign, which adds an extra $4 million to the existing $1.5 million set aside for promoting the National Immunisation Program.

The Save the Date to Vaccinate campaign will target areas of low vaccination rates by addressing myths. Picture: iStock

“Research shows that when people are fully informed about the benefits of vaccination, they are more likely to vaccinate,” Mr Hunt said, but in the ­absence of an awareness campaign, misinformation from the vocal anti-vaccine lobby has had undue influence.

The yet-to-be-named immunisation education campaign will be aimed at parents of children under five years of age and include: explaining the benefits of childhood vaccinations both to the individual and the community; addressing misconceptions regarding childhood vaccinations both to the individual and the community; and encouraging timely completion of the childhood immunisation schedule.

While Australia’s childhood immunisation rate is 93 per cent, some pockets, such as northern NSW, have rates as low as 50 per cent in Mullumbimby and 64 per cent in Byron Bay.

The campaign will focus on using social media such as Facebook for its ability to specifically target certain demographics, but some traditional media such as television advertising is also being considered.

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Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said research shows people are more likely to vaccinate once they are full informed about the benefits. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

“We want to make sure that every parent has full information and to utterly ­reject false unscientific claims against vaccination,” Mr Hunt said.

“The health of Aussie kids is far too important to let myths and falsehoods from anti-vaxxers go unaddressed.”

In addition to federal moves, the NSW government announced it would spend just under $1 million on initiatives, including the Save the Date to Vaccinate campaign, as well as funding more ­community engagement in areas such as northern NSW with extra nurses trained to do immunisations.