Australia - Positive bailout package to secure healthy kids

Citation

(2012), "Australia - Positive bailout package to secure healthy kids", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 25 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhcqa.2012.06225caa.005

Australia - Positive bailout package to secure healthy kids

Article Type: News and views From: International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Volume 25, Issue 3

Keywords: Healthcare reform, Immunisation programmes, Public healthcare, Healthcare quality improvements

Apparently, it takes more than just an apple a day to keep the doctor away. The safest and most effective way to protect children from disease? Immunisation. The latest instalment in the Gillard Government’s health reform is action pushing for stronger immunisation incentives. In addition, there will be a separate campaign designed to educate parents on how to protect infants against whooping cough.

In a joint release from Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon and Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Jenny Macklin announced aspirations to reform Australia’s childhood immunisation arrangements with the aim of increasing the immunisation rates of Australian children over time.

Roxon outlined what it is exactly that the Gillard Government is going to do to ensure healthy kids across the nation. The following actions will be introduced over the next six months:

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  Families will now need to have their children fully immunised to receive the $726 Family Tax Benefit Part 1 end-of-year supplement.

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  A new immunisation check will be introduced for one year olds to supplement the existing immunisation checks at two and give years of age.

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  This means that over the three immunisation check points, families will have an incentive of more than $2,100 to ensure their child is fully immunized.

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  Children will for the first time be required to receive vaccines for meningococcal C, pneumococcal and varicella (chicken pox).

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  A combination vaccine will replace individual doses of vaccine for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chicken pox) – which means children will be immunized against measles, mumps and rubella earlier, at 18 months instead of the current four years of age.

In a bid to increase awareness of kids health and heighten the overall percentage of children immunised, the government assures an incentive of more than $2,100 over the one, two and five year checkpoints. Realistically, most families get their kids immunized already, so this will not make a difference for them. The real difference is going to depend on those families who change their status from “non-immunisers” to “immunisers.”

For more information: www.transformingthenation.com.au