Update: 11.40pm: The Minister for Children says she is not in favour of punishing parents as part of a bid to drive up child vaccination rates.

Doctors are calling for incentives.

One of those suggested is to halve the child benefit given to parents who don’t get their children fully inoculated.

But Minister Katherine Zappone says she isn’t sure that’s the way to go: “I wouldn’t generally be in favour of behaving in a way that punishes people.

“I would be in favour of encouraging behaviour that supports the rights that they have in this case in their children’s health.”

Earlier: Parents who don’t get the recommended vaccinations for their kids should have their child benefit cut in half.

That’s the call from an Irish doctor, amid what he calls an ‘ongoing campaign’ against the HPV jab, which prevents cervical cancer.

Less than half of eligible girls began that series of jabs last September, far lower than the target level of 80%.

Ruari Hanley writes in the Irish Medical Times that if parents whose children aren’t fully immunised suffered a 50% cut in child benefit, the problem would be solved ‘overnight’.