When Lena told me she wouldn’t be vaccinating her newborn son Sammy (names changed), I admit I was fascinated.
But I can’t say I was surprised. Sammy was my friend’s first child, and Lena – who became a yoga teacher after confronting and fixing her own health issues – was always going to do motherhood her way.
Lena made the decision after consulting with several alternative health professionals she admired and she knew it wasn’t going to be easy (Sammy might not be allowed to go to childcare, Lena couldn’t take him to see newborn babies etc.), but she was adamant that it was the right decision for her and Sammy.
That was about 15 years ago. I’m now older, hopefully wiser and (most importantly) a mother of a five- and eight-year-old, and let’s just say that my thoughts on and around the issue of immunisation are far less elementary.
Of course, there are good reasons why I find myself returning to Lena and Sammy. As will be announced in next month’s budget, parents who refuse to vaccinate their children will lose welfare payments of between $2100 and $15,000 per child (exceptions on medical grounds only). It’s part of the federal government’s tough ‘No Jab, No Play’ policy that’s designed to save it more than $50 million a year.
There will also be a $26 million package aimed at boosting vaccination rates among the community. The latest statistics show that 166,000 children were more than two months overdue for their vaccinations last year; almost 40,000 were ‘conscientious objectors’.
Yes, you’d be hard pressed to find a hotter hot-potato topic right now. And there are many out there, such as Lena and Canadian mother-of-seven Tara Hills (and whose story I’ll return to later), who came to their decision with a clear vision and a level-head.
But, while I understand their position, I can no longer accept or ignore it. Since having my precious boys, my world view has shifted and, with it, I guess, my ignorance.
The truth is I’ve read too many stories of loss. I’ve put myself in the shoes of parents who have had to bury their newborns due to an outbreak that should never have happened here in Australia. Each new story enters and disturbs the psyche in its own inimitable way. And each has helped me see the light.
Even in the aftermath of grief some parents find it in themselves to push for social