This week, the Australian Government took a bold step in combating the damage caused by parents who refuse to vaccinate their offspring. Against much protest, they intend to withhold child support from families if they refuse to immunise on the grounds of conscientious objection. It still amazes me that in this day, people can blindly refuse to protect their children. What is in fact most selfish is the harm they will cause to others by not doing so.
There are of course, acceptable reasons for refusing vaccinations; religious belief, and medical grounds. Having a vaccination does not guarantee 100% protection from the disease, but rather works on the premise of protecting of the population aka Herd Immunity. By achieving a large enough percentage of cover it prevents the rapid large scale spreads seen previously and offers protects those who are medically unable to receive immunisation (such as children receiving chemotherapy) by increasing the degrees of separation.
The Captious Flaneur 