Govt eyes cash offer for kids immunisation

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Parents could be paid to immunise their children after the Government agreed yesterday to consider a plan by Parliament's health committee.

The MPs' panel recommended the financial incentives to boost the child immunisation rate, noting that Australia significantly increased its immunisation rate with such measures.

In response, the Government agreed to "explore options" for parents and immunisation providers (mainly general practitioners).

But the incentives would be introduced only if shown to be financially worthwhile and the most cost-effective way of increasing immunisation.

The Government also noted officials were already investigating the Welfare Working Group's proposal that parents on benefits be required to have their children immunised, unless they made an informed decision not to.

National MP Paul Hutchison's health committee reported that Australian parents were paid A$122.75 ($160) when their child had been fully immunised by age 2, and the same again when the child had received the extra shots due by 5. Parents who opted not to immunise were still paid if they met certain requirements.

Immunisation was necessary for Australian maternity and childcare benefits, and was part of school entry requirements, the committee said.

"Parents have the option of registering as conscientious objectors; if they do so, they can collect the benefits, and their children can go to school."

However, a vaccine sceptics group said the plan would be "coercion".

Immunisation Awareness Society spokeswoman Sue Claridge said paying parents was "plain wrong". The provisions on informed consent set out clearly it should be free from coercion.

"A financial incentive is tantamount to coercion, especially in lower socio-economic communities. How can they make a truly informed decision based on what's best for their child if money is dangled in front of them ... [or] the threat of withholding money?"

Health Minister Tony Ryall said the Government would look into incentives "out of respect" to the committee's work, but a big increase had already been achieved under the Health Targets system.

In January, February and March, the immunisation rate for 2-year-olds was 89 per cent. The target is 90 per cent by next month, rising to 95 per cent in a year.

"We've got a formula that's delivering for young New Zealanders," Mr Ryall said. The Government would expand the target age after the election to include full immunisation by age 4.

Medical Association deputy chairman Dr Mark Peterson said he couldn't comment on incentives for parents as he hadn't seen the evidence, but he was glad the Government would look into decent incentives for providers.

Health providers were paid $21.60 including GST for each injection they gave from the state-funded immunisation schedule, and many were eligible for a small top-up if they met immunisation and various other public health targets.

But GPs made little money from schedule immunisations because they had to undertake time-consuming recall efforts to reach many patients.

He said paying providers a good incentive would enable them to extend their recall efforts, which was where the problem now lay if the national rate was to reach the 95 per cent target.

IN AUSTRALIA

* Parents eligible for two payments of A$122.75 ($160) if they ensure children are immunised by certain ages.

* Immunisation rates for 1-year-olds increased from 75 per cent in 1997 to more than 90 per cent in 2004.

* However, the rate dropped to 83 per cent by the time children reached 4.