PARENTS who refuse to vaccinate their children may lose their family benefits payments or child care rebates.

The Abbott government has confirmed it is currently conducting an audit with a view to use a carrot and stick approach to address low immunisation rates.

Almost half of the 80,000 children who are not vaccinated in Australia are the children of conscientious objectors.

Department of Health figures show the number of conscientious objectors, or vaccine refusers, has risen sixfold in two decades to 36,320. There are more than 2.2 million children on the register.

"It's on our radar. The audit is being conducted with the intention of a review of child care payments to conscientious objectors," a spokesman for the Prime Minister Tony Abbott said.

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The highest number of objections came from NSW parents, with 9625 registered in 2013, many of whom received child care benefits and family tax benefit payments worth thousands of dollars.

Last year Mr Abbott backed the Sunday and Daily Telegraph's No Jab No Play campaign which successfully changed laws to tighten rules for entry into child care in NSW, but also called for a stop on child care rebates and family benefits to conscientious objectors.

"If parents are receiving a childcare payment, I believe part of receiving that payment is an obligation to have your child immunised so they can safety participate in childcare centres," Mr Abbott said at the time.

The campaign led to changes to the Public Health Act.

Since January 1, parents have been required to provide documentation of the vaccination status of their children prior to enrolment in childcare centres.

Those who object have to prove they have sourced information on immunisation from a reputable medical practitioner and have a conscientious objection form signed.

Areas of low vaccination coverage included Mosman, the eastern suburbs and communities in the Byron Shire, but preliminary figures obtained by the Sunday Telegraph show that the law change is starting to work with vaccination participation up.

North Sydney Council's immunisation clinic had 215 clients in the past four months with numbers almost doubling. In January 75 children were vaccinated, compared to 40 in October and November and 60 in December.

In the Byron shire, notorious for its low immunisation rates with one in five parents registered as conscientious objectors, vaccination clinics have been booked out according to Chris Barron, Nurse Unit Manager of Bangalow Community Health.

"There has been an increase in mothers booking in to have their children immunised and the Clinics are booked out," Mr Barron said.

"There has been a higher demand for conscientious objector forms to be signed, but there has also been more parents coming to get the measles mumps and rubella vaccine because there has been an outbreak up here." Julia Wham

But practice nurse Julia Wham from The Meadows Medical Clinic in Mullumbimby, the town with the lowest immunisation rates in the state, said the clinic had seen a higher demand from parents who refuse vaccines to get their conscientious objector forms signed.

"There has been a higher demand for conscientious objector forms to be signed, but there has also been more parents coming in to get the measles mumps and rubella vaccine because there has been a measles outbreak up here," Ms Whan said.

Mosman had 43 at their clinic in January up from 39 in December but within normal range.

At the Kaleidoscope child and family clinic in Newcastle, an area with the highest vaccination rates in Australia, staff have been run off their feet said nurse manger Sue Watkins.

"We're busy all the time but we had a big increase in four-year-olds, with all the new requirements that people have their documentation up to date, it's made them more aware," Ms Watkins said.

Dr Brian Morton, Australian Medical Association spokesman for GPs said since the new year doctors had reported a significant rise in children coming in for vaccines.

Mother of two children in childcare Kathy Sozou wasted no time this week getting her 18- month-old son up to date on his vaccine schedule now required by her local child care centre.

The 34-year-old accountant from Northbridge said she was pleased laws were tougher now for children entering child care.

"I'm comforted by the fact kids should be vaccinated before attending day care," she said.