Victoria is set to introduce 'no jab, no play' legislation to ban unvaccinated children from attending childcare centres.
The policy was successfully introduced in New South Wales in 2014 and Victoria's participation signals a progression in the nationwide effort to crack down on parents that reject vaccination.
The state government have begun preparations and the legislation could potentially be finalised by as soon as early 2016, according to Health Minister Jill Hennessy.
According to the laws, preschools and day care centres have the right to prohibit children from attending if they have not been vaccinated.
Parents who are conscientious objectors can only enrol their child if they have permission from a medical practitioner, who has given the parents counselling and made the parents aware of the inherent risk of failing to vaccinate their child.
Children who are proven to be unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons are also exempt from the 'no jab, no play' laws.
It has also been announced that whooping cough vaccines will be made free to all Victorian expectant parents once again, the state government says.
Premier Daniel Andrews met with new parents at Melbourne's Royal Women's Hospital on Sunday to announce the program which will provide free vaccines for women in their third trimester and parents of babies up to six months old.
'Parents will get the free whooping cough shots to protect them from giving to their children, unknowingly, what can be a deadly virus,' he told reporters.
'This will save lives.'
This comes at a time when the anti- vaccination crowd are bringing Sherri Tenpenny, who has written books such as Saying No to Vaccines and Flu and Flu Vaccines: What's Coming Through That Needle?, out to Australia will be touring in Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Sydney in February and March. There is a move however to stop her from appearing and promoting her opinions.
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