EXCLUSIVE Aussie parents falsely claiming to be Aboriginal in an attempt to bypass strict vaccination requirements

Daily Mail​

24-06-2025

Some parents are falsely claiming to be Aboriginal in an attempt to bypass strict vaccination requirements for children attending childcare and preschool.
Under federal guidelines, parents must provide an immunisation history showing that their child is either fully vaccinated, on a recognised catch-up schedule for jabs, or has a valid medical exemption.
The NSW Health Department has ruled that parents who object to vaccinating their children can no longer enrol their kids in childcare unless they qualify for an exemption.
Exemptions are only granted if the child is immunocompromised, holds a health care card, or identifies as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
Some anti-vaccination groups advise and encourage others to falsely claim their children are Indigenous in order to circumvent compulsory vaccination.
'People have a right to be part of society and any loophole you can find then use it,' said one mother.
'When loopholes are all you have when you are discriminated against, then what else do you have to give your child a chance?'
Mothers in these groups have claimed it is easy to falsely declare Indigenous status, because no cultural or genealogical proof is required.
'Aboriginal definitely gets you through, you won't have any trouble. I know ppl (sic) who have ticked tht (sic) box though aren't and had no trouble,' said another.
'We will claim Aboriginal heritage if push comes to shove,' said one mum who claimed compulsory COVID vaccinations 'woke her up'.
But not all those opposed to vaccination mandates were comfortable with misrepresenting their race.
'You're either Aboriginal or you're not,' one mum posted.
'It's a pretty low blow to claim Aboriginality to get into kindy if you don't/haven't recognised it previously.
'If your family is not indigenous and you are only looking to identify for your own personal benefits then that is awful. The exemption for Aboriginal people is there for a reason - not for people to use and abuse when they need an out.'
But some said the government had forced them into such a position, labelling the current No Jab No Play laws as a form of coercion or blackmail.
'Any mandatory vaccination is a low blow in my opinion...the government is in the wrong' said one.
The Daily Mail has taken screenshots of mothers discussing claiming their child is Indigenous to get out of strict jab rules
The Daily Mail has taken screenshots of mothers discussing claiming their child is Indigenous to get out of strict jab rules
Indigenous social researcher Suzanne Ingram said the number of people falsely self-identifying as Aboriginal was now on a scale that had not been seen before, as they sought access to benefits and set-asides in education, employment and other areas.
The 2021 Census found that 812,728 people (3.2 per cent of the population) identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, an increase of more than 25 per cent since 2016.
The Indigenous population increased by the greatest amount in Brisbane, New South Wales central and north coast, and Sydney.
'Self-identification is a significant problem and is spoken about as identity fraud,' she said.
'The current system, if you can call it that, not only allows self-identification, it rewards it with jobs, scholarships, career trajectory, not to mention noble social media credibility.'
Ingram said self-identification had become accepted throughout all strata of Australian society and was adopted bureaucratic policy, particularly in the education sector.
'For example, swarms of box-tickers through the university gate are there on an Indigenous entry scheme where the systemic requirement is simply that they provide a stat dec,' she said.
'Any dispute, if and when one arises, is dealt with through legals which turns Aboriginal identity into a legal conundrum.'
Ingram said Aboriginal people had systems to recognise who was in their kinship networks.
'This is a problem that has been decades in the making...there is quite a bit that needs to be done to fix it,' Ingram said.
'Hoiking the numbers up creates what I call the Big Top Effect which hides critical health conditions for Aboriginal people in poorer socioeconomic conditions and especially access to supports for health treatments and prevention.'
A NSW Health spokesperson confirmed that a child whose parents identified as Aboriginal could be enrolled in daycare regardless of their vaccination status.
The department failed to answer questions by this masthead on how many requests had been received over the past five years by a parent seeking a daycare or pre-school vaccination exemption because their child was Indigenous.
This publication also sought information on whether anyone had been caught falsely claiming Indigenous heritage and what verification, if any, was required when a parent identified their child as Indigenous.
We also asked what impact the misuse of this exemption had on indigenous specific health programs and funding allocations. The department failed to answer any of the questions posed.