THOUSANDS of Victorian children are at risk because parents are choosing homeopathic remedies over traditional vaccines, according to medical experts.

Health authorities fear the children are not being protected against killer diseases as parents opt for alternatives to medically sanctioned vaccines.

Department of Human Services prevention and perinatal health manager Dr Rosemary Lester said parents were misled about homeopathic remedies.

"There's no scientific evidence that these so-called homeopathic vaccines work at all," she said. "Parents are putting their kids at risk."

Royal Children's Hospital pediatrician Dr Jenny Royle said parents who did not vaccinate their children or relied on homeopathic remedies were flirting with disaster.

"Having a homeopathic vaccine for any childhood illness is false reassurance," she said.

"This worries us enormously because there is no evidence these supposed vaccines work."

But Australasian College of Hahnemannian Homeopathy director Isaac Golden said vaccine alternatives were effective.

"Parents are not putting their child at any risk," he said.

"Over 200 years of evidence suggests the level of protection is about 80 per cent to 90 per cent.

"The homeopathic option is not perfect; neither is vaccination."

Remedies marketed as homeopathic "vaccines" have been recently criticised and the Therapeutic Goods Administration cracked down on a purported meningococcal "vaccine".

But Mr Golden, a homeopath for 17 years in Daylesford, said homeopaths offered "preventative remedies", not vaccines.

"We don't have homeopathic vaccines. We offer a form of immunisation," he said.

Mr Golden, who also supports conventional vaccines, said there had been a big increase in parents choosing not to vaccinate or instead using oral homeopathic alternatives.

He plans to write to state and federal politicians urging acceptance of homeopathic remedies.

There are no official figures on the number of Victorian children who use homeopathic alternatives to vaccines, but Australian estimates are in the tens of thousands.

Ninety-one per cent of Victorian children are medically vaccinated by age one year and 88.8 per cent by two years old.

Whooping cough, diphtheria, polio and measles vaccines are 80 per cent to 95 per cent effective.

Australian Homeopathic Association secretary Peter Torokfalvy said homeopathic remedies worked despite not provoking an antibody response like vaccines. Overseas studies showed severely diluted homeopathic remedies, often using plants and minerals, prevented disease.

"There's strong vested interest that objects to anything that pushes the status quo," he said.

Australian Medical Association Victorian president Dr Mukesh Haikerwal said homeopathic vaccine alternatives should be avoided.

"The only effective means of protecting our kids is through a proven vaccine, not a hopeful therapy," he said.

Australian Vaccination Network president Meryl Dorey said homeopathic remedies were a legitimate alternative.

"We all want healthy children. The only question is how best to achieve that," she said.

Sunday Herald Sun