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South Australia To Introduce 'No Jab, No Play' Rule Following Coronavirus Outbreak

South Australia To Introduce 'No Jab, No Play' Rule Following Coronavirus Outbreak

All children in the state will have to be fully vaccinated if they want to attend childcare.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

South Australian (SA) politicians have introduced new legislation to help protect children when they enter childcare.

The 'No Jab, No Play' has already been introduced in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland and SA will soon join their ranks.

The law forces parents to ensure their child is fully immunised up to the age of six before they're able to attend childcare services.

South Australian health minister Stephen Wade said it was common sense for the legislation to be introduced following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

PA

"Here in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic we can see the world searching for one vaccine," he said.

"It would be an absolute crime to not use the vaccines we already have to protect our children from vaccine-preventable diseases.

"The message from the state government is crystal clear - get your kids fully immunised or they will not be admitted to early learning centres,"

Previously, parents were allowed to send their unvaccinated kid to childcare, unless there was an outbreak of a preventable disease like measles.

But authorities feel in the wake of Covid-19, children should be given the best chance at avoiding any and all diseases that we currently can treat.

The new legislation will kick into gear in South Australia in August and it has already gained the support of childcare facilities across the state.

PA

Adelaide's Hawthorn Childcare Centre assistant director Jane Lopez told Channel 9 the 'No Jab, No Play' rule was the right thing to do.

But she warned that there might not be full support across the sector, adding: "I think there would be centres that choose to ignore it, I think that's at their own peril.

"We would give any family who approached our centre, who didn't have the proper paperwork, the chance to produce that, but in order to comply with our regulations and our legislation, yes we would turn families away."

The legislation has made room for some medical exemptions for avoiding vaccinations. But the state has been clear that they will be cracking down on people trying to flout the rules.

Health minister Stephen Wade said: "We are not willing to put your child, other children, staff and the wider community at risk."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: News, Australia