A Tauranga medical officer is backing New Zealand's decision not to follow Australia's benefit crack down on parents refusing to vaccinate their children.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott this week announced the federal government's plans to deny parents of unvaccinated children taxpayer-funded childcare or welfare benefits under new federal government rules.

Photo: File.

Set to be implemented from January 1, 2016, the ‘no jab, no pay' policy could cost parents more than $15,000 a year, per child.

Following the announcement, which has caused widespread debate, Prime Minister John Key has quashed any future proposals to make it a condition of the benefit.

The New Zealand Government opted against a similar measure in 2012 because it believed immunisation should be the parents' choice.

Bay of Plenty Medical Officer of Health Dr Jim Miller agrees with this approach, and believes increased vaccination rates in recent years 'speak for themselves”, particularly in young children.

According to health figures, 75 per cent of five-years-old in the Bay of Plenty were fully vaccinated as of December 2014 – a slight increase on the 74 per cent in 2013.

But the real success story is in the toddler category, with 90 per cent of children at two-years-old fully vaccinated. A big jump from the 74 per cent in 2009.

Jim has hailed these figures, and is pleased with the engagement and confidence of parents and caregivers working collaboratively with support from the district health board and primary care providers.

'I think we are on the right track,” says Jim, 'and I think it's these things we are already doing, such as raising awareness and providing information to parents, even before their children are born.

'There are some risks with vaccination and people need to know about them, but they are far outweighed by the benefits and people need to know how to approach these things.”

'Nine out of ten children are fully vaccinated by two years of age and I think that shows our local community are supporting the benefits of immunisation.”

However, wary of being drawn into the debate, Jim believes it is better to concentrate on what's happening in our own health sector, as opposed to across the ditch.

'Parents have got good confidence in the system and are bringing their children to get the protection that they really need,” he adds.

Ministry of Health figures show the national immunisation coverage of children at eight months and two-years-old were both around the 90 per cent mark in 2013-14, a slight rise on 2012-13.

Asian and Pacific children held the highest rates of immunisation coverage at both age targets, followed by European and then Maori.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports although Australia's overall childhood vaccination rates remain high - about 97 per cent - the numbers of people who are registered conscientious objectors has risen in the past 10 years.

According to the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register there are 39,000 children aged under seven who are not vaccinated because their parents are registered. This is an increase of more than 24,000 children over the past 10 years.

A SunLive Facebook poll this week asked: 'Is the ‘no jab, no pay' policy a good idea for New Zealand? Should parents who do not vaccinate their children be denied benefits?”

In 48 hours the post has prompted more than 100 comments – both in favour and in opposition.

One SunLive comment reads: 'Very bad idea. Parents should be able to decide what they think is best for their children and not be punished if they decide not to go ahead with immunisation.”

Another says: 'This makes me so angry. It is a basic human right for a parent to be able to choose the course of healthcare they wish to take with their children.”

Kellie Thompsons posts: 'As someone who has lived in Melbourne and currently now in NZ, I can say from experience that Australia does make it very easy to vaccinate.

'There were monthly vaccination days where health nurses would be set up in designated halls/health centres and all you had to do was rock up to the nearest one at the appropriate month for your child's vaccination schedule.

'It was so easy, no booking required. NZ should consider doing something similar.”