Lone church exemption from new vaccination laws revealed

The religious denomination that will be exempt from the government's tough new vaccination laws has been revealed.

The Church of Christ, Scientist, adherents of which are more commonly known as Christian Scientists, has been named on the Department of Social Services website as the one faith to which new laws closing conscientious objector loopholes will not apply.

The reforms announced by the government will see families who do not have their children immunised lose up to $15,000 in benefits.

Social Services Minister Scott Morrison has said exemptions will apply for children medically unable to be vaccinated, and those with strong religious objections.

He said only one denomination would be recognised by the government as a "conscientious objector" but when pressed by reporters in recent days, Mr Morrison refused to name the faith in question.

He said only that it had a small congregation in Australia with numbers of adherents "lucky to be in the thousands".

Christian Science was founded in the US in 1879 by Mary Baker Eddy.

It advises members to pray before seeking medical attention and says prayer is effective against illness, but makes no particular stance against professional healthcare.

Christian Science Australia spokeswoman Kay Stroud said the church was "very neutral" on vaccination, Fairfax Media has reported.