Page 2532 - Week 08 - Thursday, 19 August 1993
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Other claims made by opponents of immunisation include that the vaccine-preventable diseases are not serious, that the vaccines are not completely effective, and that the vaccine-preventable diseases are controlled by improvements in living standards. An argument often used is that measles in an unimmunised population is a common and not serious disease. In a developed country this is usually true. However, if a population of unimmunised children is exposed to measles, virtually all of them will catch the disease. One in 5,000 will die and one in 70 will need hospital admission. Without immunisation, virtually all children will contract measles at some stage. With universal immunisation, 95 per cent would avoid it.
In another example, while the polio vaccine will cause paralysis in one in three million who receive it, polio infection will cause paralysis in one in 100 to one in 1,000 of those infected, but over the entire population substantial numbers are infected, with large numbers permanently disabled. No medical technology is without risk and all members of the community should be fully informed about the risks and benefits when making decisions regarding the use of these interventions. Immunisation is no different in that respect.
It is often argued that the major component of communicable disease control is the improvement in living standards since about 1900. This is partially true, especially for diseases such as polio, which is spread easily under conditions of poor hygiene. However, there were two major epidemics of polio in Holland - in 1984 and in 1991 - in a religious group who declined immunisation. The standard of living and of hygiene in Holland is higher than in most of the world. This clearly shows how a minority group can place society at risk. In countries with relatively few polio cases the average age of infection is higher than in countries where polio is common, and the rate of paralysis is also higher, since the risk of paralysis increases with age. The whooping cough epidemic in Britain in the mid-1970s illustrates the same point. There were over 100,000 cases between 1977 and 1979, when the immunisation rate fell from 80 per cent to 30 per cent.
Madam Speaker, the majority of the ACT community do support immunisation. Since the introduction of the new HIB vaccine on 1 July this year a total of 770 doses of the vaccine were given in ACT Health immunisation clinics. Over 200 doses were given by doctors in 15 general practices, according to my advice, who report statistics to ACT Health. This obvious support for immunisation should not be undermined by ill-conceived criticism based on questionable use of scientific studies.
As I mentioned earlier, the Health Ministers across Australia are concerned about this and are working to ensure that the immunisation rates out there in the community are improved. It is, however, a risk. There are risks. Immunisation is about risk management and, overwhelmingly, immunisation serves the community well. It provides a better quality of life for all of those communities who support it and, of course, it ensures that the community as a whole develops in a far stronger way. Madam Speaker, this Government is a supporter of higher immunisation program participation and will continue to work towards it. I welcome the opportunity to discuss this issue, as it is a true matter of public importance. It will remain a true matter of public importance until all youngsters out there who can be immunised against these sorts of diseases are immunised.
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