The Aussie federal election is heating up and there are people from all different backgrounds running to get a vote.
But it seems like one party is campaigning for all the wrong reasons: trying to get mandatory vaccinations and the fluoridation of our water out of the country.
Yep - there's an actual party called the Involuntary Medications Objectors Party, which aims to give a voice 'to the tens of thousands of Australians who have been ignored by the government and vilified by the press for their informed choice'.
Despite the overwhelming evidence that vaccinations are the best security against preventable diseases and that fluoridation helps keep our teeth strong, there is a political party aiming to stop this from being a part of Australia.
One of the IMOP's candidates, from Bryon Bay, where vaccination rates are pretty low compared to the national average, admits that he got sick from vaccines and even suggests tooth fillings made him ill.
Tom Barnett has told the Courier Mail: "Since I was a kid I've also had several amalgam fillings in my mouth, which are constantly leaking mercury into the system."
He said he suffered from chronic fatigue and low blood pressure after getting vaccinated.
Mr Barnett is confident he'll win the support of his local area as well as Mullumbimby, considering there is a high number of people there who don't vaccinate their kids.
In 2017, the ABC reported Mullumbimby had a vaccination rate of around 57 percent for all one-year-olds, compared to 94 percent for the rest of the country.
It's worth mentioning the World Health Organisation said vaccine hesitancy was one of the top ten biggest global health threats.
"Vaccination is one of the most cost-effective ways of avoiding disease - it currently prevents 2-3 million deaths a year, and a further 1.5 million could be avoided if global coverage of vaccinations improved.
"Measles, for example, has seen a 30% increase in cases globally. The reasons for this rise are complex, and not all of these cases are due to vaccine hesitancy. However, some countries that were close to eliminating the disease have seen a resurgence.
There was also a study completed earlier this year showing that there was no link between autism and vaccinations, with more than 650,000 kids surveyed.
So you can see why it's concerning that people are running for federal office trying to get rid of these vaccines from our country.
Featured Image Credit: Tom Barnett/FacebookTopics: Australia News, News, Australia, Politics