Anti-Vax Campaign Gains Momentum
National Living Treasure Michael Leunig recently came under fire for a cartoon (pictured above) that appeared to offer support to parents who opposed vaccinating their children.
It prompted a scathing reaction from large quarters of the Australian public including Virginia Trioli on the ABC who berated the popular cartoonist over his anti-science views.
‘There were death threats. Not just against me, but against family,’ says Leunig.
He attempted to frame his position as being in support of those who ‘uphold the unpopular, improbable position’.
‘The minute science becomes all-powerful without any doubt, I find that disturbing,’ he said.
‘The belligerence of the pro-vaccination is quite surprising. So belligerent, so angry, that one isn’t marching with the regiment. It bothers me to see the mob being so oppressive to such people.
‘For parents who have had grave doubts about immunisation, I just want to listen. To exile them, to punish them and cut them out is kind of a dangerous drift.’
His comments themselves have been labelled as ‘dangerous’, but Leunig says he does not regret the cartoon.
Michael Leunig is not alone in his views, with a growing number of Australians expressing outrage over the Abbott Govt’s proposal to strip parents of child care and family tax benefits if they refuse to vaccinate their children.
A coalition of activist groups are planning a nationwide protest on 21 June in opposition to what they call the Liberal government’s proposed, “No jab, no pay, no play” policy.
According to protest organisers, the plan to withhold payments of child-care and family tax benefits for unvaccinated children could cost non-compliant parents up to $15,000 a year.
Protesting parents believe it is their choice whether they should vaccinate their children or not. Some may choose a few vaccines, rather than all of them, and some may choose none.
The protesters believe that like other medical treatments, they should all be free to choose if, and which, vaccines are injected into their children, and make this decision free from financial duress.
Furthermore, the activists believe that these proposed laws violate the “UNESCO Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights”, particularly Article 3.1 and 3.2 which state that “human dignity, human rights and fundamental freedoms are to be fully respected [and] the interests and welfare of the individual should have priority over the sole interest of science and society.”
Human rights activists believe this to be a form of duress, which, for some families, is substantial enough to challenge their free will and true consent.
The activists state that they are concerned about the ramifications this will have for human rights in Australia, where the right to choose and refuse medical treatment is afforded to the rich, but not the poor.
The protesters advocate freedom of choice and the right of all parents to make their families’ medical choices free from coercion, manipulation and blackmail. The rally will be a means for activists to exercise their democratic rights to assemble, be heard and voice their objection to what they see as an infringement of our human rights.
The activists have also questioned the relationship Rubert Murdoch has with Prime Minister Abbott. Since Rupert Murdoch’s son, James Murdoch, in the past served as a chairman on the board of pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, who manufacture the MMR vaccine, activist and concerned parent Damien Poulsen says, “The ‘No jab, no play’ smear campaign started two years ago in the Murdoch press with articles dismissing parents who chose not to vaccinate their kids.
“They never published stories about vaccine injured kids, side effects or details about the ingredients. Should I trust the government, Murdoch and their big Pharma friends to tell me what’s the healthiest option for my kids?” Poulsen said
The newly formed political party, “Involuntary Medication Objectors (Anti Vaccination/Fluoride) [IMO]”, objects to elected representatives making and supporting laws that use financial coercion to compel parents to vaccinate their children using questionable medication.
According to Michael O’Neill, founder of the “Involuntary Medication Objectors (Anti Vaccination/Fluoride) Party” (IMO), “these laws are just another step for the Murdoch Media, who will not be satisfied until they have compulsory vaccination for all.”
“The impact on freedom and parents rights has staggering implications, and it is our commitment to oppose these laws and uphold the freedoms our forefathers died for,” he said.
The National Day of Action is planned for 21 June 2015 in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra and Noosa.
theguttertrash.com 
Does this mean my human rights have been restricted because I have to drive within speed limits … I mean I have no intention of killing those people sitting on the pavement …
Being a BB I have (literally) endured, whooping cough, measles, German measles and chicken pox … and I knew children in the 50’s who died from these scourges of society …
All the “research” referring to … “They never published stories about vaccine injured kids, side effects or details about the ingredients. Should I trust the government, Murdoch and their big Pharma friends to tell me what’s the healthiest option for my kids?” Poulsen said
… has been well and truly refuted … I wouldn’t just ban the stupid pricks from pre-schools … I’d ban them all from cities, towns and villages … if you want to be individuals to the extent that you don’t care about killing other kids … ?
They are encouraging people to become carriers of deadly disease …
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Now, I have a special request, Blogmeister, please, please do not do a slavering piece on that fkn thief Bond!
Anti -vaxxers shit me.
Deniers!
Perhaps if they didn’t continually try to refute real science with ridiculous pseudo science and conspiracy theory, promote discredited studies such as Wakefields paper which was retracted, his licence to practice medicine revoked….
The really sad thing is they have this outrageous idea that they would rather their child be at risk of life threatening things like Whooping Cough etc than suffer any reaction to a vaccination.
Yes there are genuine cases of reaction that would mean it would be wise to abstain or be selective but that is rare.
the science is far from irrefutable. The article in the link above provides many links to recent research showing strong links between vaccines and brain damage in many forms. If you have a desire to follow along with the crowd, go ahead by all means but to make nasty, trollish comments for the sake of it is showing off your ignorance. Have fun with the rest of the lemmings
https://avscientificsupportarsenal.wordpress.com/2015/04/29/vaccines-do-cause-autism-undeniable-scientific-proof/
I’m not anti-vax with both my children vaccinated. I’m about PRO-CHOICE. If we allow the government to do this, the next step will be removing children unnecessarily from parents who choose not to vaccinate for whatever reason.
Now for the much older generation… do you remember how many vaccinations you received? Was it a single syringe dose? This is what most “anti-vaxers” are against not necessarily the vaccines themselves. To put it in simple terms you can’t mix unleaded petrol & diesel together without to stop them interacting which is exactly what they’ve done with vaccines and so it is not just the actual vaccine being injected into baby’s and children’s undeveloped immune systems. By the way the only way to get true immunity is through the senses as in mouth, nose, ears which is where the appropriate receptors are and attempting to bypass this process does not help the body to create proper immunity.
But seriously open your eyes and EDUCATE yourselves properly instead of listening to Government & Pharmaceutical Propoganda. Why do you think the Japanese don’t vaccinate against pertussis until age 2yrs? Because they’ve listened to the research that shows it increases the risk of SIDS. And outbreaks are occurring among the vaccinated not unvaccinated.
Ultimately though the “no jab, no pay, no play” policy is not going to significantly decrease those unvaccinated as the majority are the wealthy who aren’t entitled to these benefits anyway. Also as parents we are actually all on the same side and want what we think is the best interest of our very own children.
This is blackmail and discrimination against the lower socio-economic of Australians in its worst for years.
Wow. Ya wanna get some comments on ya blog: Go Anti-Vax.
Problem solved.
We had whooping cough at daycare, again, and the letter from the health department clearly stated that immunised children can get whooping cough (yeah we know though because the kids that got it are vaccinated). So that one obviously doesn’t work. It’s mixed in with diphtheria which is not around so even more reason to make it a choice by the parent. Also mixed in with tetanus, no one needs a tetanus shot at 2 months old FFS but it’s a combination jab so they have taken the option away for those parents who only want the whooping cough jab that doesn’t work anyway. They say they get a “milder dose” which is probably why it’s spreading, because these kids with the milder dose are being sent to daycare instead of being quarantined to stop the spread. Measles is gone and can only be introduced by a foreigner but you can say that about fifty other diseases so that MMR one shouldn’t be compulsory if people don’t want it for their baby. They might want it if they travel overseas. Hep B at birth, disgraceful. Absolutely should be up to the parents. Vaccines can be recommended, encouraged, advertised, but never forced on babies. Ever. Besides all that, this herd immunity concept is done and dusted years ago when all the natural immunity started to become a thing of the past. Vaccines wear off so herd immunity isn’t reliable with vaccine immunity. Only with the real thing. Most adults are vaccinated at all. Stop picking on other peoples kids, unvaccinated kids aren’t any sicker than the vaccinated ones and that is all that vaccines are proving.
“Deniers!”
Hmmm, as evidenced by the clickmonkeys above; it’s an emotive issue.
Anyhow, as regulars probably know, my mum is a rural GP…and she, along with her partners, have to put up with pig ignorant fuckheads ‘self educated’ by the echo-chambers they vvisit/inhabit on the internet confronting her/them with their plain fucking wrong theories regarding vaccination.
I’d be rankled about that anyway, because I can comprehend ‘herd immunity’ and the callous arrogance of dismissing it…but yokels arguing with my mum (who, as it happens, didn’t get her medical degree out of a fucking cornflakes packet, and has the documents to prove she knows a tad more than they’ve deduced from their internet trawling) make my skin crawl. They say ignorance is bliss…actually, it makes the ignorant irate.
I tell her, give em the green dream, but she’s far too humane & tolerates the bullshit up to a point. I am confident they get shown the door of her room with a sore brain & a new mental arsehole torn though.
Antivaxxers, fluoride-squirters, creationists, naturopaths…
Suck my fat one.
When you build it, they will come…
Like not putting your groceries in the fridge.
The perishables
“Deniers!”
Hmmm, as evidenced by the clickmonkeys above; it’s an emotive issue.
Well, considering one half of the political landscape actively promote this kind of anti scientific claptrap in one particular field of science, I find it laughable that in another field they are actively forcing monetary penalties on people who get sucked in/coerced by it.
The grubmint don’t see (or don’t care) that the anti vaccers are simply borrowing the same template for both obfuscation and attack that the AGW deniers have been using for years (the same tactics, interestingly, as those used by the tobacco companies for years)
And I don’t agree with the heavy handed methods used by this lot to try and solve a problem that they themselves have actively encouraged for years. The best solution, imo, is always education. Sherilyn from above is correct here imo
Vaccines can be recommended, encouraged, advertised, but never forced on babies. Ever.
But, as for this comment, it is just a case of more information.
So that one obviously doesn’t work.
It isn’t always as simple as that Sherilyn. And, like the AGW denies, complexity in an issue gets lost sometimes.
“The pertussis vaccine is decreasing the amount of infection to some extent, but mostly what it’s doing is decreasing how sick you get.”
This means children who might otherwise have got extremely sick and ended up in intensive care on oxygen or even died, now get a milder infection or sometimes show no symptoms at all.
Also if you’ve had the vaccine you’re less likely to transmit the disease to those around you.
However, it does mean that a significant proportion of infections will occur in vaccinated individuals.
“You’d expect that because if 95 per cent of kids are immunised and if you find that 95 per cent of the cases are also immunised, then that means that the vaccine’s not doing anything,” McIntyre says.
But that’s not the case. Only about 70 per cent of reported cases of whooping cough occur in people who have had the pertussis vaccine.
http://www.abc.net.au/health/thepulse/stories/2012/08/14/3567495.htm
Having said that. we recently didn’t get our youngest boy immunised at school because they wrapped up the gardasil vaccine in it all, and my wife has fallen foul of a concerted online campaign to instil fear into people around that one. We also personally know a couple who’s daughter had it and then suffered some pretty horrific side-effects. If one cause the other, we don’t know, but we were also aware of the fact that the authorities weren’t very forthcoming with the actual side-effects (of which any immunisation has some) So we could have been hit financially because of the same fear and smear the libs promote in AGW.
We did get him vaccinated at the Drs for the other shots though. It is interesting, my wife is a huge supporter of immunisation, but this gardisal has her running scared. Education is the key.
Vaccinations have have changed a lot over the years, the only live vaccination given to newborns is the rotavirus one.
…Vaccines wear off so herd immunity isn’t reliable with vaccine immunity…
That’s why they have booster shots and regular recommended times for having them.
…Only with the real thing…
The real thing kills many people which is why we vaccinate the herd.
…Why do you think the Japanese don’t vaccinate against pertussis until age 2yrs? Because they’ve listened to the research that shows it increases the risk of SIDS. And outbreaks are occurring among the vaccinated not unvaccinated…
Baby vaccinations in Japan;
http://www.tokyourbanbaby.com/2012/02/baby-vaccinations-in-japan.html
Schedule example (including both standard and optional vaccinations):
3 mths
DPT – 1st dose
PCV – 1st dose
Hib – 1st dose
HepB – 1st dose
Note – I separated these vaccinations so my baby wouldn’t be given 4 needles on the same day! My baby had DPT and HepB one week, and then Hib and PCV the following week.
4 mths
BCG at the 4 mth health checkup
5 mths
DPT – 2nd dose
PCV – 2nd dose
Hib – 2nd dose
HepB – 2nd dose
6 mths
DPT – 3rd dose
PCV – 3rd dose
Hib – 3rd dose
HepB – 3rd dose
DPT = diptheria, pertussis [whooping cough] and tetanus. Japanese babies have DTP at 3mths, 5 mths and 6 mths.
What research? The research done says it is not related to vaccine, anti SIDS safety recommendations help reduce SIDS.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and Vaccines:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/Concerns/sids.html
And outbreaks are occurring among the vaccinated not unvaccinated.
Where are the stats and research on that assertion?
Could the outbreaks be because adults need to have boosters to keep up immunity and that it is the unvaccinated [or their contacts] who bring in the outbreaks?
It’s the same mindset.
Climate and vaccine deniers are the same: beyond persuasion:
http://theconversation.com/climate-and-vaccine-deniers-are-the-same-beyond-persuasion-22258
“Vaccines can be recommended, encouraged, advertised, but never forced on babies. Ever. ”
Lucky no babies are being ‘forced’ to vaccinate then, isn’t it.
Just slight financial pressure applied to their ignorant parents.
Something had to be done, and I’m not about to call it a bad idea or fall for anti-AGW red herrings just because it was AbbottCorp that did it.
Something had to be done, and I’m not about to call it a bad idea or fall for anti-AGW red herrings just because it was AbbottCorp that did it.
Abbott & Co. haven’t done much good, but the “no jab, no play, no pay” is one. Perhaps abbott & co should have stuck with their approach for corporate behaviour and use carrot, rather than stick to encourage good behaviour. They should pay people extra to immunise!
People just need to educate themselves, it isn’t hard, the Immunise Australia website is open and free.
http://immunise.health.gov.au/
Immunisation: Myths and Realities
Click to access full-publication-myths-and-realities-5th-ed-2013.pdf
Measles is gone and can only be introduced by a foreigner but you can say that about fifty other diseases so that MMR one shouldn’t be compulsory if people don’t want it for their baby. They might want it if they travel overseas.
If only that were true … BTW people from overseas travel HERE.
2013
http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/gold-coast/doctors-urge-gold-coasters-to-check-for-measles-symptoms-after-two-cases-confirmed/story-fnj94idh-1226815181204
2015
So what if stupid anti-vaxxer teabags want to self-select themselves and/or their spawn `out` of the future evolution process and increase the intelligence (hopefully) in the species. What IS worrying, is mr-rabbit `demanding` to save them. He must see anti-vaxxer crankspawn as future members of his teabag party.
This fred will end up better than the moon landings … mark my words …
This is better than all the emails I get from Bill Shorten, Tony Bourke etc
Good Day Tom,
This is my personal reference number law/chamber/solicitors/ae/cm/WILL/928473012 and My Name is Mrs. Angela Edward. please send this to my attorney with the contact information below – he would provide all information to you. Due to my Sickness, i have been touched by God and want my WILL to be donated to you rather than allow my relatives to use my Late husband hard earned funds ungodly. My doctor told me that I have limited days to live due to the cancerous problems I am suffering from as I will be going in for an operation later today. What bothers me most is the stroke that I have in addition to the cancer. With this hard reality that has befallen my family and me I have decided to donate this fund to you and want you to use this gift which comes from my Late husbands effort to fund the upkeep of widows, widowers, orphans, destitute, the down- trodden, physically challenged children, barren-women and persons who prove to be genuinely handicapped financially.
I am currently sending you this mail from my sick bed in the hospital, I do not need any telephone communication in this regard due to my deteriorating health and because of the presence of my Late husbands relatives around me. I do not want them to know about this development. With God all things are possible. I believe in Charity and I believe your faith is guarantee for me to trust you. Contact Attorney Kennedy on the email: (barrkennedy-consultant@live.co.uk) I sold all my inherited belongings and deposited all the sum of $5.2 million dollars with a Security Company. I am diagnosed of cancer and have a time limit to live on this planet.
As for how I got your email, it was gotten after a proper search via your area zip code with the help of the lord leading me. At the moment I cannot take any telephone calls right now and my Doctor knows i have changed my Will. Lord will Bless you Abundantly as you extend the good works to others and Ensure to use a greater portion of the funds for its purpose in fulfillment of my last wish.. Contact my attorney on the email – barrkennedy-consultant@live.co.uk
Sincerely,
Mrs. Angela Edward.
Mrs Angela Edward seems nice
…and it looks like I’m rich!
Over at my abc, Trioli would do a lot better not worrying her pretty self over Leunig`s cartoon/s, but instead, focus on ensuring she doesn`t allow `cadbury-mite` advertising packages onto her breakfastnews show, in accordance with my abc`s charter. #yes.virginia.you.fell.for.another.one
97% of European countries have STOPPED adding fluoride to town water. The government reported that’s it’s not up to them to MEDICATE their people, some governments also said they found it dangerous to their people also! How is a by product of ALUMINIUM good for your teeth? This vaccine business is all about MONEY! I met a lady that told me her son got autism after he got vaccinated and the same happened to his cousin!
We need to medicate the population with fluoride. lt is the only way we can justify our federal election results to the rest of the world.
Thus, children in high-fluoride areas had significantly lower IQ scores than those who lived in low-fluoride areas. The children studied were up to 14 years of age, but the investigators speculate that any toxic effect on brain development may have happened earlier, and that the brain may not be fully capable of compensating for the toxicity.
Fluoride is also used in ratsack , it’s a toxin used to kill rats, and has been used for decades, so it must be good for the teeth, It would be like adding faeces in toothpaste and saying it’s good for cavities! Adolf Hitler used fluoride to sedate prisoners, gee they must have had great teeth.
@unalloyed
Yes that study was from HARVARD UNIVERSARY, but what do they know 🙂
⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️ Oops HARVARD UNIVERSITY
l`m sure HARVARD UNIVERSARY will verify how essential high-fluoride areas are in keeping our current federal govt supplied with members.
Good morning Teabags.
Todays fun factoid from my abc is fairfax `outsourcing` the digitalisation of their photo archives to a biz in arkansas in teh-usa. Fairfax sent the photo archives to the yank biz, some time went by, and fairfax noticed their photos were being sold-off online. Apparently, the `out-source` contractor went into receivership, and the receiver started flogging-off the photos (which were always owned by fairfax) and pocketing the cash.
#Keeping in mind fairfax, isn`t it just wonderful the financial system wants to `outsource` our banking and financial data to `off-shore` contractors. #yay.corporatocracy
I fkn knew this fred would be like a honey pot … well done, sreb … 🙂
BTW adding fluoride to supposed drinking water is stupid … and a stupid waste of taxpayer/ratepayers’ money …
For fluoride treatment to be effective, in children particularly, it MUST coat the teeth … I had the treatment at my dentist last Friday* … couldn’t eat or drink for 30 minutes …
Thank goodness for our stainless steel water tank!
*Also informed that I shall need crowns on my two front teeth … told her my teeth will end up costing me more than my car!
Internet troofers are funny.
I like the way they were able to neatly shoehorn Adolf Hitler into the paranoia.
The oblivious ramblings about how different chemicals may or may not be used are also comical.
The Internet, spawning troofers in an orgy of self affirmative misunderstandings.
Maybe Hitler had a point?
Hmmm.
I call bullshit on demonising fluoride by linking it to ratsak.
The anticoagulant in ratsak is what kills. Ever heard of warfarin? Know what else it is used for?
I suppose I better tell grandma to stop taking her heart medications?
The proportion of chemicals can be worth considering. Troofers focus on bullshit.
Teabags! Good morning!
+
ln case l don`t catch up with you tonight, do remember that joolya and kevin07 are starring in `the killing season` on my abc tonight.
lt`s the first of `3` episodes, which l`m sure many of us will enjoy, as the rabble publicly `gut` themselves on my abc.
Fergie made the series, and was on my abc breakfast today, something l thought was very interesting is blib wouldn`t be in the series. l think this shows blib is quite gutless, and yet another example how unworthy blib is, as an `alternative`, well, anything really.
l will boldly predict, the series will also show caucus really arse-fcuked themselves, and their membership, by backing blib. l will also boldly predict, blib`s poll ratings won`t improve much, if at all, by the end of this series. l will also boldly predict, blib won`t be elected out-right next election, but `may` be part of a watermelon govt.
blib wouldn`t be in the series.
So, Bill Shorten should be in a series about Julia and ratfucker kev?
fckn lefty abc!!! ROFL
macklan and combet had the nads to be in it,
considering blib was one of the chief knifers in both back-stabbings, he needed to have the nads and leadership to explain to voters his point of view in knifing (particularly-popular-kevin07) TWO first-term prime-meddlers.
This is running away, and it will follow him after the series, limited-news will milk it to death, and blib didn`t have the brains to work that out.
Not leadership material.
Killing Fields is virtual suicide for the ALP … why any of them would appear is beyond me … it just shows the show ponies they all are …
Not interested in the “party”, not interested in the “nation”, not interested in the “economy”, not interested in the “people” … but extremely gathered up in their own massive ego tumours obviously still growing …
lt`s the train-wreck that just keeps giving:-)
Spain Has First Case Of Diphtheria In 28 Years Thanks To Anti-Vaxxers..
http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/spain-s-first-case-diphtheria-28-years-due-lack-vaccination
Parents of children aged five years and under can participate in the survey by going to https://exp.psy.uq.edu.au/vax/
http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/anticipated-survey-to-shine-light-on-vaccination-fears/story-fnet08xa-1227390733682