Parents' Right to Choose The Kiwi Party
Press Release
May 6, 2011
"The Kiwi Party supports all parents and caregivers' rights to freely choose, without pressure from the State, whether or not to vaccinate their children", says Robyn Jackson Natural Health spokesperson for the party. "And no child should suffer discrimination because of their vaccination status", added Jackson.

"Currently a number of parents are expressing their concern over the recommendations in the Report of the Health Select Committee's inquiry on 'How to Improve Immunisation Completion Rates in New Zealand' which, if implemented as they currently stand, would place them under increasing pressure to vaccinate their children. In a free society, this is utterly unacceptable", says Jackson.

"Amongst a number of other concerns in these recommendations is that the legal right of 'Informed Consent', which is a fundamental concept in the provision of health care services in a democratic society, would change dramatically. Without 'Informed Consent', parents' rights to ask, and have access to, all evidence-based information, would stop doctors from being able to freely give that information.

"This is not about whether one is for or against vaccinations, but about the loss of Informed Consent and the freedom for parents to choose what they consider is best for their children's health. Even the Ministry of Health, in correspondence with the Select Committee, expressed concern about Dr Nikki Turner's '5 Point Plan' to increase vaccination rates. This Plan is now included as part of the Select Committee's recommendation awaiting the National Government's approval. If the recommendations as they currently stand are passed into law, this represents a significant attack on parents' rights to make health care decisions for their children.

"The National Party should think carefully about adopting these recommendations as, if they do, not only will it be over-riding the fundamental concept of Informed Consent, but it will also result in a gross invasion into Kiwi families' lives", concluded Jackson.

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