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CHILD CARE PAYMENTS BILL 1997
CHILD CARE PAYMENTS (CONSEQUENTIAL
AMENDMENTS AND TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS)
BILL 1997
In Committee

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Tuesday, 11 November 1997

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Hansard
Start of Business Senator BROWN(12.44 p.m.) —While the minister is consulting his advisers, I just want to briefly take up the
ORDER OF BUSINESS point about the intelligent parent. I cannot accept what the minister says at all. The fact is that there is very much
CONSIDERATION OF LEGISLATION contradictory evidence and debate, even in scientific and medical circles, about vaccination. As a general
practitioner, in the past I have been in the position of having to help inform people about vaccination. When you do
get to the little wrappers that come with the little bottles of vaccine and read the small print, the alarm bells start
ringing.
CHILD CARE PAYMENTS BILL 1997
CHILD CARE PAYMENTS Without fear or favour, at this stage—I will only do this once—we ought to put the other side of the story for the
(CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS AND so-called intelligent adults, to use the minister's term. From the Australian Vaccination Network I have reports from
TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS) BILL three parents who came and saw me in recent times about what may be seen as the other side of the story. I
1997 inform the commit tee, in brief, of the network's argument. They say:
REMEMBRANCE DAY Did you know that:
Vaccines contain many toxic ingredients including formaldehyde, a known cancer-causing substance. According to
the Poisons Information Centre—
CHILD CARE PAYMENTS BILL 1997
CHILD CARE PAYMENTS that is in Sydney—
(CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS AND
TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS) BILL "There is no acceptable safe amount of formaldehyde if being injected into a living human body. It is a toxic
1997 substance and should be avoided at all costs."
Second Reading Over the past century, death rates from childhood diseases had dropped by an estimated 90% BEFORE the
In Committee introduction of vaccines or antibiotics.
Senator NEAL
Vaccines are cultured on animal tissue and therefore, contain many bacteria and viruses other than the ones
Senator HERRON which they are supposed to immunise against. For instance, the polio vaccines was contaminated with 40 known
Senator NEAL monkey viruses—one of which, SV-40, is thought to cause cancer and has also been linked with the development of
AIDS.
Senator HERRON
Senator NEAL Live virus vaccines such as polio, measles, mumps, rubella and chicken pox are carried in the body for up to 90
days after vaccination. This means that anyone who has been recently vaccinated cannot only contract the disease
Senator HERRON themselves but can transmit it to those they are in contact with. This happened in 1995 when a 22 year old
Senator NEAL Brisbane mother contracted polio from her recently vaccinated baby.
Senator CROWLEY The rubella and chicken pox vaccines are cultured on the cell lines of aborted foetuses.
Senator HERRON Vaccines do not guarantee protection from disease. Of the 1,094 cases of whooping cough occurring SA in 1996,
Senator CROWLEY only 6% were not vaccinated (SA Health Commission) The Medical Journal of Australia (5/95) reported on a measles
outbreak in Western Sydney in which 74% of the children were vaccinated against measles according to their
Senator HERRON parents.
Senator CROWLEY
The US government has paid out in excess of $800 million US since 1986 for vaccine damages.
Senator HERRON
In a study conducted by Dr Michael Odent (Lancet , July 1994) asthma was shown to be 5 times more common in
Senator CROWLEY
children who had been vaccinated against whooping cough. Two follow-up studies since that time have confirmed
Senator HERRON these results.
Senator CROWLEY In 1989, the Australian Doctor Weekly surveyed its readers—doctors—and found that 89% of them relied on drug
Senator HERRON company salesmen for their information.
Senator CROWLEY According to the information sheet given out to American parents, the risk of serious reactions from the whooping
Senator HERRON cough vaccine are that one child in 350 may suffer from convulsions or shock/collapse, one child in 100 will have a
temperature of 40C or higher and one child in 66 will have high-pitched screaming for 3 hours or more—all possible
Senator NEAL symptoms of brain injury.
Senator HERRON
Adverse reactions to vaccination are more common than we are told. The AVN has collected over 300 reports of
Senator NEAL serious adverse reactions from Australian families. Not one of these had ever been reported by the doctors
Senator HERRON involved.
Senator CROWLEY They go on to give three salient cases. I cannot account for those statistics any more than the minister can
Senator HERRON account for his. We could get into an interminable debate. We do not need to. All that needs to be said here is that
there are very serious arguments for vaccination but there are also very serious arguments against vaccination.
Senator CROWLEY That is why it is not valid to say that an intelligent parent or a responsible person is going to have his or her child
Senator HERRON vaccinated. I would think that anybody who allowed a vaccination without looking at the evidence and agonising
over the contrary as well as the beneficial points is not displaying the sort of intelligence that the minister talks
Senator CROWLEY about.
Senator HERRON
It is a very difficult matter. It is as difficult for doctors. Let me reiterate that: it is as difficult and complicated for
Senator NEAL doctors as it is for parents and child rearers. There we have it. That comes back to Senator Lees's amendment and
Senator HERRON the arguments put cogently by Senator Harradine.
Senator NEAL There has to be an acceptance that parents and child rearers have an objection because they raise an objection.
The very act of putting it in writing validates that. It is of some concern that there is going to be a forthcoming
Senator HERRON
challenge on this matter under the government's definition, which will whittle it down to a medical argument put
Senator CROWLEY along the lines that the minister has just put. That will be very difficult if the contrary arguments are not put at the
Senator HERRON same time and it is confined simply to a medical argument, because conscience goes much deeper than that.
Senator CROWLEY
Senator HERRON
Senator NEAL
Senator CROWLEY
Senator HERRON

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CHILD CARE PAYMENTS BILL 1997
CHILD CARE PAYMENTS (CONSEQUENTIAL
AMENDMENTS AND TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS)
BILL 1997
In Committee

Note: Where available, the PDF/Word icon below is provided to view the complete and fully formatted document

Tuesday, 11 November 1997

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Hansard
Start of Business Senator HERRON (Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs)(1.19 p.m.) —I cannot miss the
ORDER OF BUSINESS opportunity of splitting Senator Brown and Senator Harradine. I am sure Senator Harradine would have no difficulty
CONSIDERATION OF LEGISLATION with cell lines taken from spontaneously aborted foetuses in a philosophical sense, whereas Senator Brown has an
objection whether they are spontaneous or induced. So I think there is room for debate in this regard.
We are checking on both of those. I have seen where that document that was distributed came from—the
CHILD CARE PAYMENTS BILL 1997 Australian Vaccination Network. There are a number of items there that could be disputed. The only one in
CHILD CARE PAYMENTS particular is that one that Senator Harradine read out. There is nobody in the chamber who can answer that. We
(CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS AND have sent someone to see if we can get an answer to it, but the person responsible is not available, so I will get
TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS) BILL back to the Senate with an answer to that as soon as possible.
1997
REMEMBRANCE DAY

CHILD CARE PAYMENTS BILL 1997

CHILD CARE PAYMENTS
(CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS AND
TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS) BILL
1997
Second Reading
In Committee
Senator NEAL
Senator HERRON
Senator NEAL
Senator HERRON
Senator NEAL debate resumes next page
Senator HERRON
Senator NEAL
Senator CROWLEY
Senator HERRON
Senator CROWLEY
Senator HERRON
Senator CROWLEY
Senator HERRON
Senator CROWLEY
Senator HERRON
Senator CROWLEY
Senator HERRON
Senator CROWLEY
Senator HERRON
Senator NEAL
Senator HERRON
Senator NEAL
Senator HERRON
Senator CROWLEY
Senator HERRON
Senator CROWLEY
Senator HERRON
Senator CROWLEY
Senator HERRON
Senator NEAL
Senator HERRON
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1 of 3 21/03/2012 10:45 AM
ParlInfo - ADJOURNMENT : Child Immunisation
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Title ADJOURNMENT
Child Immunisation
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Previous Fragment Next Fragment
Hansard
Start of Business
ORDER OF BUSINESS
NATIVE TITLE AMENDMENT
BILL 1997
QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
WITHOUT NOTICE
PETITIONS
NOTICES OF MOTION
ORDER OF BUSINESS
COMMITTEES
MIGRATION: LITHUANIA,
LATVIA AND ESTONIA
OAKAJEE PORT AND
INDUSTRIAL ESTATE
SENATE: PRAYERS
BANKING
GREENHOUSE GASES
DOCUMENTS
COMMITTEES
JUDICIARY AMENDMENT BILL
1997
COPYRIGHT AMENDMENT BILL
(No. 2) 1997
CIVIL AVIATION LEGISLATION
AMENDMENT BILL 1997
BILLS RETURNED FROM THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
SUPERANNUATION
CONTRIBUTIONS AND
TERMINATION PAYMENTS
TAXES LEGISLATION
AMENDMENT BILL 1997
ASSENT TO LAWS
NATIVE TITLE AMENDMENT
BILL 1997
ADJOURNMENT
Child Immunisation
Senator HERRON
Cyber Democracy
Adjournment
DOCUMENTS
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Database Senate Hansard
Thursday, 27 November 1997
Page: 9757
Senator HERRON (Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs)(10.23 p.m.) —I
rise tonight because of press reports over the last week that there are currently outbreaks of
whooping cough and measles in Australia. I believe there is an urgency to assist parents to get
their children immunised, and this cannot be emphasised enough. The reason that I do so was
that last week in the Senate the Australian Vaccination Network circulated a false and
mischievous document which has influenced people against immunisation.
Senators that have any doubts about the efficacy of immunisation are asked to review the
virtual elimination of Haemophlus Influenzae disease in immunised children since the
introduction of widespread Hib immunisation. This immunisation has prevented dozens of
children from suffering lifelong neurological disability. The Australian Vaccination Network
believes that factors other than immunisation are responsible for the fall in immunisation
preventable diseases in the Australian community. However, during the time that the Hib
immunisation has been available, community health standards have effectively been constant.
The only change has been the introduction of the immunisation.
The other observable fact is that, as the overall immunisation rate has fallen, there has been
an increase in the number of immunisation preventable diseases. I refer specifically to some of
the claims made in their leaflet. They state that vaccines contain many toxic ingredients,
including formaldehyde. It is an exaggeration and is misleading to say that vaccines contain
many toxic ingredients. Small amounts of additives are used in vaccines. For example,
formaldehyde is used to detoxify the tetanus toxin produced in the manufacture of tetanus
vaccine. The vaccine is then purified to remove any excess formaldehyde. The residual
formaldehyde is in very low concentration, far lower than the maximum allowed by the
standard specified in the British Pharmacopoeia, which is the standard adopted by Australia.
There was another statement that `over the past century, death rates from childhood
diseases had dropped an estimated 90 per cent before the introduction of vaccines or
antibiotics'. The death rate from infectious diseases dropped with improved sanitation and
hygiene. However, these diseases are still highly infectious, and deaths and serious
consequences still occur. Our children can only be protected by being vaccinated.
The success of the program of vaccination against Hib is testimony for the need for a
vaccination program in modern Australia. This vaccine was introduced to the standard
childhood schedule in 1993, and since that time we have witnessed a 94 per cent reduction in
the number of Hib disease in children under five years of age. There was another extraordinary
claim that:
Vaccines are cultured on animal tissue and therefore contain many bacteria and viruses
other than the ones they are supposed to immunise against. For instance, the polio vaccines
was (sic) contaminated with 40 known monkey viruses—one of which, SV-40, is thought to
cause cancer and has also been linked with the development of AIDS.
Only viral vaccines are cultured in material derived from animal tissues. Bacterial vaccines
are manufactured in cultures free of animal cells. Careful screening and testing ensure that the
resulting vaccines are free from known contaminants, including bacteria and viruses.
The SV40 virus contaminated some batches of polio vaccine between 1955 and 1963, but
there has been no evidence of increased risk of mortality, especially cancer mortality, in
persons who have received this vaccine. Since 1963 all polio vaccines have been demonstrated
to be free of SV40 as well as other known possible contaminants. There is no scientific
evidence whatsoever linking AIDS to polio vaccines.
Another statement was that the rubella and chicken pox vaccines are cultured on cell lines of
aborted foetuses. Mr Acting Deputy President, you will recall Senator Harradine's concern
about this statement. The truth is that rubella and varicella—chicken pox—viruses vaccine is
grown on cell lines which originated in one aborted foetus over 30 years ago—in fact, in 1961.
No foetal tissue has been used recently in the testing or the production of these vaccines.
Another statement made was that vaccines do not guarantee protection from disease. That
is true to an extent—just as no medical intervention guarantees 100 per cent success—but it
13/07/2013 9:32 AM
ParlInfo - ADJOURNMENT : Child Immunisation http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;db=C...

does guarantee 95 per cent success. Vaccination is a highly effective method of providing
protection against certain diseases to both children and adults. Despite that less than 100 per
cent effectiveness, vaccination programs have ensured that smallpox has been eradicated from
the world solely due to vaccination, and poliomyelitis is expected to be eradicated within a few
years.

Another extraordinary statement was that the US government has paid out in excess of
$US800 million since 1986 for vaccine damage. When we checked, there was no data available
to verify the amount quoted. In fact, in Australia there has been only one known case where
that has been pursued in the last 15 years. The fact that compensation has been paid does not
prove that vaccines have been the cause of problems experienced. In the United States there
is in place a vaccine compensation scheme which allows easy access to parents who believe
that their child experienced a significant vaccine adverse reaction, and Australia does not have
a similar vaccine compensation scheme.

Another statement says that in a study conducted by Dr Michael Odent—Lancet, July

1994—asthma was shown to be five times more common in children who had been vaccinated
against whooping cough. It also said that two follow-up studies since that time have confirmed
these results. When we checked, we found that Dr Odent made this claim in a brief letter to
the Lancet in 1994. There was no peer review of his publication and no scrutiny of his claim
was possible. There appears to be no evidence whatsoever of the alleged follow-up studies, for
which no reference has been given.

I could go on. The whole document cannot be verified. It concerns me very much because
there is a certain amount of truth in some of the statements, but the vast majority of these
statements are completely false and cannot be justified. I am doubly concerned because I see
that a recently published booklet is now on the bookstands. It was in the hands of one of my
parliamentary colleagues the other day. The poor chap believed that some of the material in
that was also verifiable.

I think it is important that Australian parents recognise the validity of the necessity for
immunisation. The rate of immunisation in this country has fallen to the lowest level since it
was introduced. We are now witnessing epidemics of a major nature, deaths and neurological
damage in our children because of the laxity of parents. We have introduced a stimulus for
immunisation in the Child Care Payments Bill 1997 , whereby parents need to give some
evidence that a child is immunised before it is admitted to child care. The reason for that is
that, with a high level of lack of immunisation, those children are at risk of infection. The
corollary is that, if there is a high level of immunisation, there will be protection for those
children who are not immunised. It has been estimated that fewer than two per cent,
fortunately, of Australian patients have any sort of conscientious objection to immunisation.
Their children would be protected if the other 98 per cent were immunised because the disease
would be highly unlikely to spread within a child-care centre.

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