Should mandatory immunisation be held across Australia, despite religion?

Introduction Immunisation has been arguably the most significant public health intervention and was voted as one of the four most beneficial medical developments of the past 150 years (AusGov DoH, 2015). (Shmaefsky, B, 2016) states that “vaccines are drugs used to increase the body’s ability to combat disease organisms”. Immunisation is just one medical strategy for decreasing the chances of widespread, infectious diseases (Advameg, Inc, 2016). It is stated that vaccinations save an estimated 3 million lives throughout the world per year, making it one of the most cost-efficient health interventions ever created. There are 18 different vaccines that are a part of the Australian Standard Vaccination Schedule, including Chickenpox, Hepatitis B, HPV and Influenza. Vaccinations are given since birth, all the way to the age of 70-79 (Cirrus Media, 2015).

Biological Background The first vaccine created was by a man named Edward Jenner in 1796. This vaccine protected people from smallpox. Jenner noticed that cattle handlers who had previously been …show more content…
One of these is that all vaccines can cause very serious and sometimes fatal side effects. It is said that vaccines could be linked to learning disabilities, asthma, diabetes and other disabilities. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States has reported that pneumonia can be caused by the chickenpox vaccine (ProCon, 2016). Thimerosal, an organic Mercury compound found in some flu vaccines, is believed by physicians to be linked in some form to the development of autism. (Mercola, J, MD) believes that some vaccines for PCV, HPV, DTaP, Hep A and Hep B contain yeast proteins which contain Monosodium glutamate, which can cause migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, asthma, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, Lou Gehrig’s disease, ADD, seizures and