A Sydney mum wants to open a "vaccination-free" childcare centre. 2/16
Malcolm Turnbull talks to us about anti-vaxxers
A Sydney mum is taking “expressions of interests” for a private, anti-vaccination childcare on the Northern Beaches. Children will learn through “play and games, art and craft, yoga and dance” at this “vaccination-free” centre.
“I would like to open a daycare in my home for three to four children, two days per week,” Heidi Street posted to the private Facebook group
Vaccine Free Australia.
The title of the post was “Vaccine-free childcare on the Northern Beaches”.
“I have a strong passion for health and well-being and have a beautiful nurturing soul,” the post continues.
“Children’s days would be spent amongst nature, a walk to beach, learning through play and games, art and craft, yoga, dance and hopefully lots of laughter and giggles.”
It comes as the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is pressuring the state and territory governments to ban unvaccinated children from childcare centres.
“This has got to be a concerted national effort by all governments to ensure all our children can be vaccinated,” Mr Turnbull told the
ABC earlier this month.
“No jab, no pay, no play.”
© Facebook Heidi Street. Now, Street’s suggestion has reportedly been met with inquiries from supporters who want to do a similar thing in different locations throughout Australia.
“Many families are concerned about vaccinating. Yes, it’s in response to ‘No Jab, No Play’,” Street told the
Sunshine Coast Daily.
The mother of two sends her eldest son to a Steiner school and has campaigned on Facebook previously to bring the movie
Vaxxed to Australia.
The film’s most controversial claims include the polio vaccine causes cancer, and the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine is linked to autism.
The problem is, the danger of an unvaccinated childcare centre extends far beyond the children themselves.
Yes, these children are at greater risk of contracting diseases such as measles and smallpox and polio.
“These kids are essentially at risk of developing serious and even life-threatening illness because they’re not vaccinated,” Sydney general practitioner Dr Penny Adams told
Today this morning.
But they’re also likely to undo the “herd immunity” of the wider community. This protects people who aren’t vaccinated – maybe they’ve travelled from overseas; or they’re children undergoing chemotherapy; or they’re elderly with a compromised immune system.
"We need everybody in the community to be vaccinated, so those people are safe as well," Dr Adams added.
There are currently no vaccination requirements for admissions into childcare centres in the Norther Territory, Australian Capital Territory, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania.
Children in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, however, are required to be fully immunised, or on approved catch-up programs, before enrolling in childcare.
"Vaccinations would have saved at least three million lives in the last year," Dr Adams said. "There is no merit at all in the anti-vaccination argument. It has been proven absolutely, scientifically."
