Some thoughts on vaccine conspiracy theorist Judy Wilyman’s misleading “TV interview” which was published on YouTube on August 16th, 2018.
Viewers are being mislead by Ms. Wilyman’s constant and repetitive referral to “university research” and the allusion to an existing “scientific debate” on vaccination. The science on vaccination is settled and there is certainly no genuine debate. Only anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists constantly seeking to create the impression there is a debate and the truth is being suppressed.
One wonders. What is the “objective and evidence based university research (approved by the University of Wollongong)” of which Ms. Wilyman speaks? What was the study design? What was the sample size? By what methodology were vaccine ingredients causally linked to chronic disease? Which ingredients were shown to cause chronic disease or pathological changes? By what mechanism do which ingredients cause pathology? How did the study control for other variables? What methods of…
Riley Hughes passed away from whooping cough, in March 2015. Since then his parents, Catherine and Greg, and their extended family and friends have worked towards ensuring this doesn’t happen to any more families. Cath and Greg have been instrumental in ensuring that whooping cough immunisations are provided to expecting mums in their third trimester. This will save lives. This will confer some protection to a newborn in the first months of life. Cath and Greg are heroes. Rightfully, Catherine is a nominee for the 2016 Young Australian of the Year, to be announced in just over a week.
Catherine and Greg have recently released a video of Riley, taken in his final days, so as to warn parents of the reality of this deadly disease. Whooping cough kills babies.
Cath appeared on Network Ten’s The Project, last night. Catherine explained why she released the video of Riley’s final days:
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Mamamia, for their own very valid reasons, decided not to publish the names of anti-vaccination activists. The folks at Mamamia are actually very nice people.
When it comes to anti-vaccination thugs who vilify bereaved parents, I am not nice. I am unencumbered by this concept. We are duty-bound to ensure that our community is aware of the real anti-vaccination movement: it is akin to a cult who care not for ethics, nor empathy, nor decency. Families of children who have died from vaccine-preventable diseases have been targeted by anti-vaccinationists for years. And the Hughes family have been inundated with vile comments (there are 231 screenshots in that blog post), on their Light for Riley Facebook page.
So, today – again – I’ll present anti-vaccination thugs at their worst; and I will name them.
Vaccine Free Australia is a secret group consisting of over 4000 members. Members are frequently warned that the group is not secret, having regularly featured in national media. These are the admins of Vaccine Free Australia:
On January 13 2016, Rixta Francis – of Maitland NSW – posted this hideous conspiracy screed about Riley’s death, replete with lies about Catherine:
Baby Riley is big in the news again. Here’s a simple calculation about it.
Riley’s mother is known to be active in the SAVN [LIE]. This is a splinter group with few active members and a bit more fringe supporters. Let’s say that the active group is 200 people (that’s probably generous). There are about 18 million adults in Australia, so the chance that a random Australian adult is a member of this small group is 18.000.000 : 200 = 90,000.
About 180,000 babies a year are born in Australia and at most one baby every two years dies from whooping cough. That’s 1:360,000.
Now do 90,000 x 360,000 and you get a chance of about 1 : 32 billion that exactly this mother had a baby who died from whooping cough.
Add to this that Light for Riley was started within weeks after Riley died and that the organisation ran smoothly from the beginning and we have another problem to add. On top of that these parents use their dead baby all over the media to promote a political agenda.
I don’t know what happened, but the story stinks big time.
39 people liked that. You read that correctly. I’ll list the likers at the end of this post. Francis’ colleagues joined in her conspiracy theory:
Don Houston [from Taree, NSW]…people accept this non-diagnosis without question or thought. What virus? Where did these mysterious genes suddenly come from? But an unvaccinated child shouldn’t be a threat to a vaccinated, and therefore protected, child? Nope, doctor is right and then you die because they are actually wrong more often than not and don’t really have a clue. And it is this that killed baby Rielly, not the unvaccinated or the fact that he is considered too young to vaccinate but medical incompetence and stupidity.
Robyn Langguth do you mind if i share this if i keep your name out of it?
Rixta Francis That’s fine. You can leave my name on if that’s easier. I’m already known as an evil anti-vaxxer everywhere. Imagine spreading some basic numbers. That’s about the worst you can do, according to some people.
Rixta Francis It was way before Riley was born. [LIE]
Helen Absolon [from Brisbane] You would think that if she was so active in pro-vaccine stuff that she would have had the DPT in pregnancy and all adults around her vaccinated as well? Nothing about this adds up at all.
Bec Cameron [from Kwinana, WA] What if…. Riley never actually died….?
Rixta Francis What if there never was a baby Riley? Is that possible? I don’t know. But the only logic explanations are that either Riley and his whooping cough were made up. Or that the parents killed the baby themselves. But neither of them make any sense either. I’m waiting for a good explanation.
Christie Anne All these questions run through my mind too. And I feel awful because if he was a real baby, who really did die then that is beyond horrible and gut wrenching because babies don’t deserve to die no matter the reason, however I HATE that he is being used a pawn to push propaganda!
Rixta Francis A lot more babies die from the WC vaccine. And Riley didn’t even die from WC, but from pneumonia. And in my opinion he probably died from bad medical treatment. Assuming that Riley existed and died.
Rixta Francis …if she was so devastated, then why start a nasty, vaccine pushing organisation the next day? And would any parent use their dead child to push a political agenda?
Maybe the cause of death was made up. That’s always a possibility, But then the timeline still doesn’t make sense. I suppose we will never know what really happened.
Of course, this is not the first time we have met Francis:
Anti-Vaccination Australia is a closed group consisting of over 2000 members. Members are regularly warned by admins that the group is not closed, as many posts from the group feature regularly in national media. These are the admin of Anti-Vaccination Australia:
Breana Stanley – of Mernda, Victoria – is one of the AVA admins, above. This is Stanley’s comment about Catherine Hughes, regarding that new Mamamia article. From today, January 15 2016:
Amanda Malsem – of Mudgee, NSW – also made this comment about Riley’s family, in AVA. From today, January 15 2016:
Adam George Crabb is a Sydney-based, multi-conspiracy theorist who runs a conspiracy podcast called The Crazz Files. Three of his posts from Anti-Vaccination Australia feature today. I asked Crabb, on Twitter, if this publicly available Facebook photo is indeed of him; Crabb then deleted and changed his Facebook photo, so I guess this is him:
Publicly available photo courtesy Facebook.
On January 14 2016, Crabb made this comment about Catherine’s appearance on The Project:
Anyone catch the project Sydney show tonight? The little baby Riley dug pusher was on the show begging for all Australian woman to be vaccinated against whooping cough. It was like a well controlled soap opera & these sick people filmed their own dying baby & uploaded it to social media. If my child was on a hospital bed, filled with tubes & dying I front of my eyes, I wouldn’t be bloody filming it on my iPhone. Why would they do that unless they had plans of getting the media involved. Who films their own child dying in front of their eyes & then goes on a pro vaccine rampage? I took photos of my babies birth, I film life not death & certainly would not film the death of my own child then put it online & give the material to the Murdoch media.
49 people liked that post from Crabb. 49 people.
Crabb’s colleagues joined in:
Kitty Mandala [Nita King from Bassendean, WA] That was my first thought too….
Didn’t watch it but when I see the video getting shared
Keira Jane [from Mornington Peninsula, VIC] I wouldn’t even be taking a photo it’s just fucking weird! After yes that quite normal (I’ve had a stillborn so yes that’s normal for photos after) but not while they’re horrible sick.
Suzy Singleton [from Bribie, QLD] I flick the Chanel when I see that stuff come on, soon as its finished I go back
Kiata Hazell [from Newcastle, NSW] Boiled by blood her saying all pregnant women should have boosters!
Yes, let’s inject you with a vaccine and we have done zero tests on pregnant women while you’re pregnant. Even though it is in a category for not safe for pregnancy.
Ugh bloody infuriating. My hubby saw me yelling at the screen while it was on
Jute Smith [from Adelaide] BULLSHIT me and my antivax family were all yelling at the tv. by the way that woman looks demonic just see her eyes. One of the things she said that stood out was “antivax (forget what here actual name for use was) people are entitled to opinions but not entitled to their own facts”. in other words we are allowed to believe something but when we have facts proving them we cannot say or use them.
Amanda Malsem No she’s insinuating that our facts are crap & made up to begin with. As in there’s “THE” facts & they support them, not us.
Bernadette Harrison [from Melbourne] I reckon some big money is behind it one way or other.
Persephone Rose [from Atherton Tablelands, QLD] actually its very normal for photo’s to be taken both before and after death – i will be a volunteer infant and peri morti photographer when my youngest is a little older
its not that normal to try and have a policy implemented that basically insures the deaths of multiple other innocent babies because your baby died though
Mjay Pascoe [from Timboon, VIC] It’s part of the brainwashing these parents have had unfortunately. And I agree, there’s noway I would post my baby dying, but then I am awake, they aren’t. It is what us anti have got to put up with this until these people leave this earth when the stuff hits the fan. These vaccinated children do not have a proper functioning immune system. With the new super bugs coming, they will be the first to go
On January 13 2016, Crabb posted in AVA about Mia Freedman and Riley Hughes, Crabb’s commentary in bold:
Mia Freedman
14 hrs ·
Over Christmas, I met a GP who works in Mullimbimby which has one of the highest rates of non-vaccinated children in Australia. Their vaccination rates are close to third-world due to the rabid fear campaigns of anti-vaxxers who have actively and aggressively misled well-meaning people who just want to do the best thing for their babies and children and are hugely vulnerable to scare tactics and rubbish propaganda. Please remember: the “best” thing you can do for your precious baby is to have them vaccinated. It’s too late to save beautiful Riley, but other children’s lives depend on your decision. This woman has an army of Pro Vaxxers & trolls who swallow all the propaganda she spews out.
Crabb’s colleagues offered their thoughts on Mia Freedman:
Cindy Alchin Close to third world? So they’re shipping expired vaccines to Mullumbimby and forcing them on children now?
The “best” thing to do is ignore this pharma cow and leave the choice open!!
Adam George Crabb We have already directly challenged her to a live debate on radio but she totally ignored us. she is regurgitating propaganda & im utterly sick of these presstitutes & their Big Pharma interests.
Julie Meadows-Shera [from Jimboomba, QLD] She is not a very intelligent person, big mouth but no brain behind it. She couldn’t debate a flea.
Julie Meadows-Shera Doesn’t mention all the beautiful vaccine injured and dead children, she just mentions one dead child! Obviously had never even looked at statistics on that. Any child’s death is tragic. Needs her dose of reality I think!
Adam George Crabb The family of the child has started a foundation & are planning on vaccinating the third world. Poor people don’t need sanitation, clean water & food, they need vaccines.
Alicia Constable [confused] from Get off this site Mia Freedman. Come back when you’ve educated yourself
Brianandtracey Simpson JUST CHANGE A FEW WORDS AND YOU WOULD HAVE THE TRUTH ~rabid fear campaigns of big pharma / pro-vaxxers / mia freedman, who have actively and aggressively misled well-meaning people who just want to do the best thing for their babies and children and are hugely vulnerable to scare tactics and rubbish propaganda.
The anti-vaccine thugs then turned their attention to Cath, again:
Jessica Kelly I don’t understand how a mother can share videos of her child dying. That truly does shock me. She also sold her story to That’s Life magazine. I don’t buy, watch or listen to mainstream media, just happened to see it in a doctor’s office and all of the puzzles were done 🙂
Shari Smoker [from Busselton, WA]Who would even film their baby dying in the first place? That’s pretty sick I’d say!
Adam George Crabb Great open minds here with people being able to put the emotional stuff aside. Who films a dying baby & puts the footage all over the Internet & lets the Murdock press do whatever they want with it. Who are these people & what really happened here because I smell a PR stunt for big pharma.
Julie Meadows-Shera To put a dying child on TV or the Internet is corrupt in my opinion, no one with a shred of humanity would or could do this! Regardless of what their aim is.
Adam George Crabb …The Murdoch media who are the worst scum on this earth were given open access to this poor child’s death. They are still using it now but refuse to print all the thousands of brain injuries, reactions & deaths due to vaccines. They just report on this one child & have milked this to incredible lows. Who films the slow death of their own child & puts it on to the Internet? Utterly sick & demonic if you ask me.
Serena Hohnke [from Brisbane] There is a letter I read a while ago about another baby Riley who died from vaccine injury and the mother was saying what about light for her baby Riley. It was a heartbreaking story but this never gets into the media.
Adam George Crabb I’m smelling a huge lie & PR stunt to enforce vaccine law changes in Australia.
Vesna Peacock [likely troll account] You may not recall but the media campaign started before he even died. It’s quite possible they were recruited specifically for their exhibitionist qualities as opposed to the majority of parents who wouldn’t consider doing this. A couple of babies die every year from Whooping Cough, yet this one has received saturation coverage and the others nothing. I was hoping a new martyr would be found for this year, but there’s no reprieve in the lead up to Australia Day awards. All in relation to baby not eligible for vaccination in the first place, yet claimed to be a preventable death.
Julie Meadows-Shera What about putting up all the pics of the vaccine injured babies and children and adults, what about interviewing them, and the ones who have lost children to vaccines!! What about them. Makes me want to spew
Also on January 13 2016, Crabb posted this astonishing attack on Catherine Hughes:
# I will be made out to be the Devil for posting this but look at what these people have done, along with the Murdoch media. It’s absolutely horrible for any child to suffer & die but it remains a fact in my eyes that these people & the media are now using this poor child’s death to push vaccines for big Pharma. When the pro-vaxxers get this type of material, all debate is shut down with facts & logic going straight out the door & replaced with fear mongering & propaganda. The Murdoch media along with Mia Freedman have used this child’s death to not only bring in harsh, Draconian vaccine laws but also to promote & push vaccines onto pregnant woman. Check out their website & here is a line from it… Firstly, the whooping cough vaccine needs to be offered to every woman during pregnancy. So here we seem to have an agenda & money is being made by these people but their poor dead child has been used the whole time. Remember, sometimes things are not what they seem & the media are master manipulators. This poor child’s death did come at the perfect time for the vaccine pushers so we must question everything, no matter what.
The anti-vaccination thugs added to Crabb’s claims:
Dean Grant Spot on adam. Keep being fearless mate. The world needs more truth tellers like you.
Sam Pearson [from North Sydney] The Riley mob and what they promote will end in other babies dying.
Cindy Alchin Also, wasn’t every relative and nurse who came in contact with him, vaccinated? His on earth did the “anti vax pertussis germ” break through that barrier??? But of course admitting the inefficacy of the vaccine would be to admit responsibility for his illness and subsequent death, and I’m sure no parent wants to admit that. I feel sorry for them that they believe and propagate the lies.
Adam George Crabb Yes, if you think about it, how many parents would be willing to look at the other side of the coin here. To accept that it may have been s vaccinated individual that did this. If a child is injured or dies as a direct result of vaccines then it’s the fault of the parents & Dr who administered it. I think in this case, Dr’s should be charged with murder so it’s that simple but they get away with it.
Louise Chamberlain That is really sad poor little thing but has she got any evidence to prove that non vaccinating caused the death of her baby before claiming we should all vaccinate because he died. It could have been a vaccinated individual with a “mild case” gone un noticed and whom infected the baby.
Adam George Crabb No evidence, ever, nothing & the Murdoch media went on a rampage against unvaccinated children & their families. The Murdoch drug empire along with their presstitutes were strongly lobbying the government for ages to change the laws. Tony Abbott would not budge as he did not vaccinate his own daughters with Gardasil. They worked day & night & then suddenly, out of the clear blue sky, poor little baby Riley died of whooping cough. This is how it was all done & the media are still using this baby to push in even more extreme law changes. We are losing our civil liberties & health freedoms faster than almost any other country, thats frightening.
Lynette Kennedy This women is a fool she’s either cashing in on her baby’s death, and allowing herself to be manipulated through her willful ignorance playing for the media and big pharma’s agenda. I wrote on one of the articles about how and why my 4 week old baby did NOT catch whooping cough in spite of being heavily exposed to it when my two little grand daughters had actually caught it from a “fully vaccinated” child. All is documented and was notified. Because I had it as a child and breast fed him which naturally protected him. They deleted my comments and deleted the truth. I have no sympathy for her, only for her baby and the babies who have died from vaccines who never get a mention.
Karalyn Sladka SBS also Big Pharma whores posted a story on this on their facebook page. Feel like a debate and to ask why (due to codex alimentarius) Intravenous Vit C therapy wasnt used as an option to treat so baby didnt have to die. By then this bay too young to be vaccinated that caught it from vaccinated siblings wouldnt be able to be used as a scare tactic. Thats how they get you.
It should be noted that Crabb is a valued member of many Australian anti-vaccination groups and pages. Only this morning he was being lauded as “our man” by Trent Wiseman – of Eltham, VIC – an admin of the Unvaccinated Australia group:
Great work from our man Adam George Crabb. May you succeed in getting the truth out there. In his interview with the incredibly qualified, experienced and knowledgeable Dr Sherri tenpenny, she states such perfect, clear, common sense statements incriminating vaccine safety and efficacy that it’s no wonder they fear her so. And the fact that she bases all of her views on package inserts, cdc data and scientific studies, there’s no denying her message. We’d all benefit from learning and breaking the argument down to her plain stated facts
“Our man”. Indeed. Here are the admins of Unvaccinated Australia, who value the work of their “man”, Adam George Crabb:
Thanks for reading. Alert your friends and family: this is the real anti-vaccination movement. And they are following the lead of the top anti-vaccine thug, Meryl Dorey, and her anti-vaccination cabal, the Australian Vaccination-skeptics Network.
Adam George Crabb sent me a series of tweets threatening me with legal action and “police friends”:
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Update January 16 2016
Today, January 16 2016, Rixta Francis has made even more disturbing claims about Catherine and Greg Hughes, and Light for Riley. From Vaccine Free Australia:
One more time about baby Riley and then I will shut up about it, till these people need another extra strong shot of media attention.
There are a few facts.
– baby Riley existed and died
– the parents are strongly involved with the SAVN
– the Light for Riley page organisation was started the day after Riley died and ran smoothly from the beginning
From all the information I have received it’s very likely that this baby died from an overdose of bad medical treatments. Whether he had whooping cough of not is something we will never know, as these diseases are very commonly misdiagnosed.
These parents are clearly highly narcissistic attention junks (which is not uncommon at all). That would explain why they started the Light for Riley page the next day, displayed their grief all over the Internet and keep searching for media attention. People like that don’t mind using their own dead baby to push their own political agenda, especially if they can play the sympathy card. It explains why they have managed to manipulate everyone into believing that they just grieve and don’t want any more babies to die. And it explains why they have never ever shown any sympathy for parents whose children died from vaccines.
More than a thousand babies a year die in Australia, which would change the chance from 1:32 billion to 1: 32 million. If we would take both parents into account, it would become 16 million. Not a big chance, but much more acceptable.
We can expect that these people will come with new photos, videos or stories on a regular basis, as they will need their extra attention shots. And as long as the media will give it to them they won’t stop.
This is the best explanation I can come with. But if anyone knows something better, please let me know.
Again, the anti-vaccine thugs of Vaccine Free Australia joined in:
Rixta Francis And I know from 30 years of experience that these people are Oscar deserving actors. They can manipulate everyone into believing everything. At that moment it suited her to sound like a normal mother. Usually she doesn’t sound like that at all.
Taryn Matulj [from Caloundra, QLD] The universe works in mysterious ways. As hard as it is, I think these parents need to be reminded that it happened for a reason. I’m sure there is lots more to the story, especially around the mothers health, her microbiome and thus baby’s own capability of dealing with pertussis.
Christine Phethean [from Brisbane] It seems that she does know some facts but wants to keep her head buried in the sand. True immunity doesn’t require endless boosters and there are more and more newspaper articles stating 100% vaccinated children are getting WC. What is the point of vaccinating and how can it be “the best option we have” if the vaccinated still get sick?
Danielle Jupp [from Gold Coast, QLD] That’s what she believes and will continue to because it is making her money. SO why isn’t she advocating the vaccine from birth? Because it isn’t safe! SO how is it safe just 2 months later…. She and her sister are trolls from SAVN they will never stop their agenda. Well said Rixta.
Rebecca Wraight [from Perth] She is actually advocating it for third trimester apparently. My bro showed me the stupid vid but I didn’t listen as soon as I saw it was her
Debbie Parsons [from Geelong, VIC] I started with some sympathy for them and still have some for the fact they lost a child as I feel for anyone that has lost a loved one. What makes me angry is that these people videod their dying baby ‘started’ a foundation the day after the baby dies ( which does run smoothly) picks up immediate media attention, then they feel comfortable putting a video up on the Internet of their dying baby. We are supposed to respect others opinions we are supposed to respect life in all forms. This is something that I feel they don’t do. As for their ‘media mates! They have no respect for anyone with any different opinion to them. They are on nothing less than a witch hunt. We should make sure though that we do not allow anyone regardless of their opinions to be bullied. Let’s make sure we are not the bullies.
Dee Footman [ AKA Danielle Breytenbach, from Adelaide] Well said Debbie.
Kathy Matthew [AKA Kathy Campbell, from Tumbarumba, NSW] I just feel you can be strong in opinions – on TV and such – but be informed/researched NOT the witch hunt that it appears to be, and they seem to be strongly involved in – especially when the timing is about all the vaccination /welfare /childcare dramas/hype are going on.
ESPECIALLY when, as known, there are so many dying from vaccinations & while we know that the vaccinations are shedding & spreading the diseases
Just seems too well orchestrated
Melanie Nolan [from Melbourne] How could they possibly start a Facebook page only a day after their baby died?!
Rixta Francis Extreme narcissists don’t have a problem with that. For most pepole this is very hard to understand, but such people don’t care about anyone else but themselves. They don’t really care about their children either. Children are just a means to an end. A dead baby obviously suited their need for constant sympathy and attention. If the baby had lived they would have used him in another way.
I know. My mother was like that. It seems that I almost died as a baby. If that had happened she would have used me for the rest of her life to get sympathy.
Kerry Baker [registered nurse from Mount Tamborine, QLD] Almost exactly like the story of another baby whose name I shall not mention *sigh*
Okay, it is not strictly accurate to call the anti-vaccination movement a “cult”. One of the main features of a cult is the existence of a supreme leader; anti-vaccinationism is a many-headed beast, with many charismatic leaders – such as Andrew Wakefield – in many countries. So the term “cult” is used more loosely in the title, here.
However, anti-vaccinationism, like many denialist movements, does indeed have many cult-like characteristics, and I would certainly use the term “unsafe group” to describe the movement due to the constant threat it poses to public health. The following list is a 23-point selection from 33 characteristics of cults and unsafe groups:
Carol Giambalvo
– Isolation of members (physical and/or psychological isolation) from society.
– Uses deception in recruiting and/or fund raising.
– Promotes dependence of the members on the group.
– Uses mind altering techniques (chanting, meditation, hypnosis and various forms of repetitive actions) to stop normal critical thinking.
– Appear exclusive and innovative.
– Controls the flow of information.
– Instills a fear of leaving the group.
Rick Ross
Warning signs of a potentially unsafe group.
– No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry.
– No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget, expenses such as an independently audited financial statement.
– Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies and persecutions.
– There is no legitimate reason to leave, former followers are always wrong in leaving, negative or even evil.
– Former members often relate the same stories of abuse and reflect a similar pattern of grievances.
– The group is always right.
– The group is the exclusive means of knowing “truth” or receiving validation, no other process of discovery is really acceptable or credible.
Warning signs regarding people involved in/with a potentially unsafe group.
– Extreme obsessiveness regarding the group resulting in the exclusion of almost every practical consideration.
– Whenever the group is criticized or questioned it is characterized as “persecution”.
– Uncharacteristically stilted and seemingly programmed conversation and mannerisms, cloning of the group in personal behavior.
– Dependency upon the group for problem solving, solutions, and definitions without meaningful reflective thought. A seeming inability to think independently or analyze situations without group involvement.
– Hyperactivity centered on the group agenda, which seems to supersede any personal goals or individual interests.
– A dramatic loss of spontaneity and sense of humor.
– Increasing isolation from family and old friends unless they demonstrate an interest in the group.
– Anything the group does can be justified no matter how harsh or harmful.
– Former followers are at best considered negative or worse evil and under bad influences. They cannot be trusted and personal contact is avoided.
I’ve only been following the goings-on of the anti-vaccination movement for a little over 6 years. But, one thing which stuck out immediately is that the debate with anti-vaccinationists is not an evidence-based debate. Sure, anti-vaccinationists claim to have reams of evidence; but, their evidence is up there with that of creationists. The debate with anti-vaccinationists is a belief-based – or faith-based – debate. Like creationists, it doesn’t matter what evidence one presents to anti-vaccinationists; all one receives in return is fallacious argumentation, discredited citations, and vitriol.
Today, I’ll be quoting anti-vaccinationists to show what it’s really like to be embedded in their closed and secret groups. It is easy to become inured to their ugly behaviour and their outrageous claims; and sometimes it is only when one presents this behaviour to someone unaccustomed to the antivax movement that one is reminded of just how demented it is. And it is by presenting these very common examples that one can see just how much the antivax movement resembles a cult.
First, I want to focus on the insular nature of antivax groups. These groups reinforce and reward behaviour which promotes the notion that antivaxers are the recipients of privileged information which sets them apart from the mainstream “sheeple” who are seen as unworthy, unknowledgeable, and compliant. When their special knowledge is rejected, antivaxers turn on the venom.
On January 5 2016, admin of Unvaccinated Australia, Brittany Smith of Adelaide sought the counsel of her brethren:
Brittany Smith I’m so upset and I’m literally crying… I need support from my fellow anti-vaxxers…. an old friend of mine had a baby with his partner two days ago and despite me sending all the vaccine inserts, trying to arrange a time to give a booklet on vaccination he consented to the Heb B vaccine on day one… WHY? WHY? WHY? WHHHYYY? LET’S PRAY THE BABY STAYS SAFE 😥 😥 😥 😥 😥 Arghhh so heartbreaking 😥
Smith’s colleagues piled on:
Lulu Langford Sadly happens all the time. All we can do is pray the baby is safe. And they wake up.
Trent Wiseman Sadly for now you’ll go through that with most of them Brit. Slowly slowly. Just keep calmly and respectfully saying your piece. Keep drip feeding information, your friends will keep the knowledge in the back of their minds and should they start to question further themselves, they’ll know to come to you. Be gentle with them and yourself. Too much preaching and you’ll just push them away
Miriam Baxt I wonder if they seriously read what you gave them? I used to give non vax health related stuff to family (usually online articles so was via email) & they just got nasty about it all
Unitatum Spiritus [real name Steve Kefalinos] I guess the worst part is besides the poor baby.. It was the most useless and easily explained vaccine of them all.. I mean a baby getting hep b… Hmm
You did your best Brittany Smith x
Brittany Smith Thank you Unitatum. Yeah that’s why I am upset. It’s the baby that matters! D: Hopefully it doesn’t die from SIDS…
Sharon Heilbronn Foolishness cannot be exolained. There was obviously pressure from some other source that made him say ok. Sometimes the Drs and nurses do it do blase that it gives the parents s false sense of security.
Clare Bailey I would recommend a book by Jennifer Barham Floreani called Well Adjusted Babies. It’s a holistic read & packed with info including a chapter on vaccines. Gifting this book to anyone expecting or with kids could open the door to informed & thought provoking reading without being too “in your face”.
My midwives were so convincing & intimidating with their vaccine speil I felt vulnerable. It took a lot of determination to stand my ground & not fold.
Greg French You tried your best Britt, you can’t do any more. The brain washing is strong. Hold your head up proud that you tried and you aren’t part of the brain washed. And say a little prayer to your God, for the baby.
It is important to remember, as one reads through these examples, that these people really do believe the things they are saying. They really do believe that they are acting out of altruism. They really do believe that vaccines kill; and no amount of post surveillance evidence will change their minds.
On January 12 2016, Leisha Smith (Leisha Allen), of Mandurah WA, actually uses the term “unique” to describe what sets anti-vaccinationists apart from the “conforming” masses. From Vaccine Free Australia:
Leisha Smith I really hate how many of us perceive pro vaxxers to be idiots. These people have simply fallen for a very expensive worldwide campaign that’s gone on for decades. They’re trusting in their doctors, their media and their government which we should actually be able to trust in. They’re conforming just like they’ve been taught throughout their entire education.
They’re not idiots. We’re just the unique ones that didn’t fall for the system. We got lucky
Her colleague is less charitable towards outsiders:
Sarah O’ReillyI sort of agree with you. I get frustrated that they are unwilling to even look that is what makes them idiots in my opinion. The unwillingness to see it different is what makes it very hard to deal with. If they even opened their minds a little they would see the truth. It is all because of their belief systems that they are unwilling. If they change what they believe then they think they are stupid because they believed in the first place. It is all about how we look at it.
Even in this amazing circle there are belief patterns that do my head in. I have been talking to people about a certain subject and because it is against what we have always been brought up to believe they tell me I am wrong. We are open to the vaccines but I can tell you there are a lot in this world that are not open to other things. So it depends on the level of stupid.
On January 9 2016, Robert Thompson gave us an insight into another aspect of anti-vaccination isolation; here is the exclusive antivax dating scene. From the Anti-Vaccination Australia group:
Robert Thompson With all these vaccination laws ahead of us, especially thinking of the single dating parents or those who have teens who are dating age, I’m wondering if a commitment to strictly NON VAX dating site would be beneficial considering the future ahead of our kids/grandkids, having a partner who is of the same mind in this regard would lessen the stress in the union of potential parenting. Just a thought, What do you think??
On January 2 2016, in Anti-Vaccination Australia, Bron McAllister advocated starting up a whole new anti-vaccine society:
Bron McAllister It’s been said before, the only way to rid ourselves of this toxic environment is to get out of it & start a new society. I like Michael Tellinger’s Ubantu movement where small towns survive without money only on reciprocity where every person contributes to the community 3 hours a week & basically live off the land and start trading our organic food & hand made products to neighbouring town. The shops will then be forced to close & it will cause a ripple effect, capitalism cannot sustain us for much longer so it’s an eventuality. I hope to be living in rural south west WA within the next 8 years and start up something like this, it’s been my dream to live off the land since I was 16!
But, as with any cult, there are also victims. And, often, these victims are supported to remain in the cult. Possibly the saddest of these stories are the victims who blame themselves for some imagined “vaccine injury” they inflicted on their child; these are stories we hear commonly from the autism community, thanks to Andrew Wakefield and his conga-line of callous, cashed-up crackpots.
This person from Port Macquarie commented on January 10 2016, in the Vaccine Free Australia group:
The tears – I chose to vaccinate my daughter and I injured her feeling so broken right now… Every now and then it’s hard to cope with as I blame myself.
On the special needs page I’m in on FB they are all giving flu shots to their non verbal kids and I just can’t imagine the damage in their brains.
They can’t express themselves already injured and the doctors jam them full if Vaccs . Feeling down
And the members reinforced the self-blame this person holds, whilst telling her not to blame herself:
Bec Fitzgerald Dont blame yourself. You made the best decision you could with the infomation you were given. Love you babe.
Rixta Francis Don’t blame yourself that you didn’t know what you didn’t know. I know that’s hard. I still very often feel like “how could I have been so stupid to get myself injected with flu shots?” They damaged me. I can’t even imagine how parents feel when their children have been injured. Hugs to you.
Lucia Guzzardi is a person who featured recently in the news, as a Melbourne anti-vaccination activist whose baby was hospitalised due to whooping cough. Guzzardi lied to treating physicians about her intention to vaccinate her baby once she was discharged, all the while commenting in the Unvaccinated Australia group denigrating the healthcare professionals who were attempting to protect her baby from harm.
On January 2 2016, Guzzardi was active again in Unvaccinated Australia, arguing against the effectiveness of the whooping cough vaccine:
Lucia Guzzardi Vaccine is suppose to medically only work for 5 years. But as we have seen and know, from the amount of WC around, and there is much more than they make out because it can get misdiagnosed, vaccine doesn’t work………..
She also noted to a colleague that her baby had recovered, after being hopitalised:
Lucia Guzzardi Tristan are you going to write a book soon!!!!!!!
And with blinding hypocrisy, on January 7 2016, Guzzardi ranted against immunisation, by citing vaccine injuries:
Lucia Guzzardi Thanks Lynne. Wonder how the pro vaxxers will feel when they are made to pay compensation for injuries??? Where is the responsibilities of those actually responsible!!!!!!! Why should ANYONE but the MAKERS pay anyone anything when their product hurts someone. Does this happen in any other industry.
Lynne Hopewell The pro vaxers will be paying for their own compensation as they are pro vaxers lol lol they won’t have a choice I will never vaccinate I don’t care how much they take off us
Lynne Hopewell Yes I wonder I think most would be happy if they know theres a back up if anything goes wrong nothing could bring a child back
Only yesterday, January 10 2016, in Vaccine Free Australia, Caroline Duffy bragged to her colleagues of how she refused all vaccinations and medical advice about her premature baby:
Caroline Duffy Hi ladies. A while ago I posted on here about my baby girl born at 26 weeks. At the time she was still in hospital and all the doctors and nurses were trying their hardest to get me to vaccinate her. Everyday a different nurse/doctor would give me their professional medical ‘opinion’ on why I should give in and sign the consent. I would always ask to see the study which was carried out to show vaccines are safe for extremely premature low weight babies (she was only 740 grams at birth). There was no such study. Well they tried so hard to change my mind. They got social workers and psychologists on to me. It was really getting me down and making me dread going to visit my daughter in hospital. But with the support of my husband I went in there day and night with my head held high. One day the constant questions stopped. I later found out my husband had gone in one day and had a few words. Told them to leave me alone, I’ve been through enough, stop trying to force the issue. At the very end of my daughters stay they gave it one last push. I actually laugh about it now. Well I am proud to say that on 14th December my baby girl came home. 100% vaccine free, exclusively breast fed (ps they tried to make me give her formula because of her anaemia). She is thriving and growing. She’s 3 weeks corrected and weighs 3.4kgs. The battle is constant as now I have the community nurses in my ear about vaccines. But I have come out of this stronger then ever and I have no problem looking them in the eye and saying ‘no she will not be jabbed, and I don’t want to discuss it with you’ 😕
Duffy’s colleagues reinforced her harmful beliefs and their results:
Kathy Matthew Go you!! Glad it made you much stronger and kudos to your fab hubby
Sophie Krokos Your baby girl is beautiful, good on you mum for not giving up and standing your ground, you saved your daughters life by saying No, well done
Danielle Thompson I’m so happy for you that’s awesome news!! Well done on braving the barrage and good on your husband for getting them to lay off. Your poppet is so cute and precious too xxxx
Suzie Connelly Robertson She is so lucky to have parents like you. Good on you for holding your ground.
Laura Leslie Murphy She’s gorgeous and better for it! proud my daughter was preemie born 1kg. And all Vaccs given. MMR made her regress and have brain injury. I can’t believe they have preemies on the same schedule !!! Good on you!
Clair Berry Your so awesome hun!!!! Love your strength and courage to fight that battle everyday!
Julia Gilby Congratulations- she looks amazing. Just stop going to the community nurses. Weigh her at the chemist 🙂
Christine Phethean What doesn’t kill you will make you stronger. You are evidence of that. You are strong and you know your facts.
Emma Wiseman I love everything about this, and not to mention she is absolutely beautiful!!!!
Greg Wilson One day your daughter will thank you for protecting her from the greedy vultures. The effort will be worth it in the end. Congratulations, and congratulations, you have a normal baby.
Sue Davis What a gorgeous, healthy looking daughter you have. Bright eyed and bushy tailed! She will thank you one day!
The second point on which I will focus is the related special knowledge of which antivaxers believe they are endowed: a knowledge with its own mythology, replete with fables, and a narrative of harm inflicted by an overarching medico-industrial complex. Many anti-vaccinationists concoct incomprehensible texts of gibberish which bear no resemblance to established scientific theories, instead drowning themselves in waves of denialism. These texts are then lapped up by the adoring colleagues who aren’t really sure what they are reading, and never question if these pitiful theses are made from whole denialist cloth.
One such concocter of the absurd is Tristan Wells, whose online tome of things he feels are correct has been deconstructed and mocked around the world. His fawning colleagues won’t even dare to click on links which prove Wells is not up to scratch. Some even praise Wells whilst admitting they have not read it:
Rixta Francis is another anti-vaccination campaigner who has put saliva to paper, recently self-publishing a book based on what she thinks happens. This review of Francis’ vanity publication is one of the best things currently on the internet; so, do read the whole thing if you get a chance. It is much better than exposing yourself to Francis:
I’m not even sure it’s fair to post a review of a ‘book’ like Rixta Francis’ slim vanity publication. It’s so self-evidently inept, and so unlikely to be taken seriously even by Francis’ allies in the antivax movement, that any comment you can make about it feels uncomfortably harsh. Still, insofar as Francis wants her work to be taken seriously enough that she’s put out a book, then she also invites, and indeed should welcome, critique. It’s also worth dwelling on “The Fiction of Science” as a remarkably clear example of one of the key flaws that drive anti-science thinking. I’ll come to that in a moment.
This book sets out to deflate a number of claims made by and on behalf of science. Francis, as quickly becomes evident, doesn’t understand how science as a method of inquiry actually works. [read more…do it]
On January 6 2016, in Unvaccinated Australia, Amber Borsotti lamented the degradation of the human condition, in so much that medical advances have allowed the less then fully-able to procreate and lead full lives. Among her supporters in Borsotti’s lamentation is Dr Kevin Coleman. Really!
Amber Borsotti The saddest and most unfortunate thing about the whole vaccination thing, in my view (and I dont mean to be insensitive here to peoples loss or suffering of any kind due to illness or death) is …..
Once upon a time according to natures law people got ill and recovered -stronger or weaker- as their body was able, they got viruses and bacteria etc, and in the worst cases died…. Now what we have is much the same, people still get ill and people still die, only with the added element of the interruption to natural processes and new variations of disease. We now have hugely increased disability on many levels, physical, mental, immunological, neurological…. Peoples ability to pass on their healthy genetics will be damaged and impaired along with their competent ability to offer proper care with any certainty. We will have in the future many many more permanently ill people who are dependent on more care and more interventions and less and less people who have strong and resilient bodily systems….
We will become a gradually, progressively disabled humanity.
Borsotti’s colleagues concur:
Lynette Kennedy I think we have made some fantastic medical progresses over the past 50 years, with micro surgery and numerous devices and yes even drugs which have saved lives and improved the quality of life for many people but how far should they be allowed to go? Now medical science and the highly profitable pharmaceutical companies have joined up and they have really over stepped the ethical mark and want to force medicate everyone whether they need it or want it or NOT. Creating a new Frankenstein era of medicine with out any morals or ethics, using and abusing all life forms for their own ends.
Tara Brown You are spot on, Amber. With all this forced vaccination, the only outcome will be an injured disabled human race, apart from those who have the power to avoid it. Which, no doubt, will be the media moguls and cartel, mafia, and big pharma hierarchy. It’s so scary. So sad. I fear for my children and future generations.
One colleague even likes a bit of inspiration porn:
Allona Lahn The fact of the matter is we are ALL going to die.. some sooner rather that later. That is life. Illness is an important part of life it gives us compassion, humility, patience, respect and many other qualities, when people die and or we are sick we appreciate what we have, reflect on who we are and how lucky we are. I have nearly died due to Auto Immune issues and I have also had a full term still born baby and I don’t blame anyone, that is life, that is part of who we are and makes us have compassion, understanding, love and makes us human. All these things give you strength, understanding, wisdom and insight. When you see a disabled person, how lucky do you feel?! Universal law and nature is amazing!
The thread rounds off with another common theme in these conspiracy groups: the futuristic, dystopian, end-times narrative, against which all thinking anti-vaccinationists should rise up, lest they be culled:
Kayla DÁssumpcao Wes Penre speaks about this.. the industrial world as the future will be named.. nano tach will come in to save the day with replacing limbs and organs til we are no longer humans but a type of cyborg. .. anti vaxers and those who don’t follow suit will be forced to leave the industrial areas and live off the land. Sounds good to me but… many will be culled before that I fear …
Sit back and ponder a moment; how ferociously terrifying would it be to exist inside these people’s heads?
On January 10 2016, in Anti-Vaccination Australia, Daniel Whitelock cranks it up another notch with a Freeman on the Land argument embellished with a New World Order dystopia, replete with a microchip on top:
Daniel Whitelock Wish we never had to sign our children’s birth certificates, making them chattel for the government, by which they can impose their laws on the ALL CAPS corporate fiction (straw man) that is created by that document.
In the NWO vaccinations will be mandatory for everyone I believe, dissenters will just have their chip switched off.
Among the fables told by anti-vaccinationists – apart from the usual claims about the lack of vaccine safety and efficacy – is the horrifically concerning misinformation regarding the need for newborns to receive Vitamin K, to prevent intracranial haemorrhage. This is misinformation that can and does kill newborns much quicker than other anti-vaccination misinformation. In 2012 a baby died because her parents refused Vitamin K, and the Hepatitis B immunisation, because of misinformation. This baby is, sadly, not alone.
On January 9 2016, in Anti-Vaccination Australia, Tami Perrin posted from a Brisbane hospital where she had just undergone a birth by caesarean section. Perrin bragged to her colleagues about how she was refusing Vitamin K for her baby:
Tami Perrin I just had a baby – I’m still in hospital- I declined hep b and Vit k. They mAde sure every single nurse who walked in knew I chose not to do these injections.
I can see how uneducated people in this area get pressured into doing it.
Just glad I don’t follow the heard
Her colleagues were, of course, effusive in their praise of Perrin:
Jason Wood Well done Tami! I get that every time I go to the royal children’s hospital. Usually a smartarse in there to spoil what should be a magical day. Congratulations!
Brianandtracey Simpson congrats 🙂 make sure someone (you or family) are with your baby at all times 🙂 all the best for a happy and healthy future
Tami Perrin Yes he hasn’t left my sight – I don’t trust them one bit
Trevor Simons Congrats! Your Bub is very lucky to have smart intelligent mum.
Ayla Mills That’s awesome congratulations on your new healthy bundle of joy. Dw doctors are always going to be like that I was getting sown up and had lost so much blood I kept passing out yet the doctor still kept arguing with me about not vaccinating. I laughed at her and said yeah sure we’ll do me a favour and guarantee that my child will be completely safe. She shut up damn quick 🙂
Ramana Braye I’m due to give birth in 8 weeks, I plan on telling them I have medical exemption if they want to discuss it with anyone they can call my doctor…hopefully that should side step their crap
Tami Perrin Yeah I told them I know how to research, I’m studying to be a naturopath
Tony Ciniglia Don’t let these ignorant misinformed BULLIES intimidate you!!! you’re awesome!
Debi Leeper Well done! Many know HepB is so unnecessary and still allow the VitK to be injected. The research I’ve looked at recently is alarming.
Steph Brill Stay strong! I got so much pressure from every midwife when I was in hospital but stayed strong. On the plus side, I had to take my son last night to emergency for a bad bump to the head and when I said he wasn’t vaccinated to one of the nurses, she said good on you 🙂
Gloreen Andersen Well done. Strength to you. Don’t leave your baby alone anytime. They have been known to do things without consent
Dan WF Congratulations. Sad thing is medical staff are equally a bunch of sheep, they don’t question nor think outside the standard teachings
Lina Minawiyeh I did the same with my last baby. They had the doc come in at about 2 am after a 36 hour labour to educate me and let me know my baby can die of bla bla bla because I refuse vit K. Seriously I slept through the whole lecture.
Kimbo Jimbo U don’t need to give them any shots! None of my kids have had anything and they have never seen a doctor smile emoticon
Respect to u 🙂
Tristan Glenn Congratulations Tami on being strong. I hope your partner supported your decision 100% as well. By the way, did you see them sneak a pin prick into his foot and take blood for the governments DNA bank register? did they ask you for consent to take your babies DNA? i bet not.
Only about one quarter of the thread has been included, above.
The third point I want to cover is the compulsion that anti-vaccinationists have to proselytise, evengelise, and recruit other members of the community. Like any zealots, anti-vaccinationists are not content to merely put their own children at risk – claiming that they are doing the opposite – but, they are compelled to spread the good word about their special knowledge: to protect the sheeple from themselves, and from the evil overlords of Big Pharma, and from the fascist governments who are out to poison the compliant voters.
Recently we saw the awful Hollie Singleton crusading on our television screens, until it was made public that she thinks it is fine for the weak to die off just as nature intended. Anti-vaccination organisations like Meryl Dorey’s execrable Australian Vaccination-skeptics Network have proselytisation as their core financial principle. They are the same the world over. This desire for power – to push their ideology beyond their own indoctrinated membership – is what brings anti-vaccinationists undone; especially because they are not very intelligent.
On January 6 2016, in Unvaccinated Australia, callous anti-vaccination activist Lo Mong Bridge (Zili Lau) advocated that the cabal should form coalitions with people like “the gays”. That’s what she said, alright:
Zili Lau Renata Bialkowska has such good ideas, it’s worth sharing.
It makes good sense strategic sense, to barter with other human rights groups. Making alliances with the gays & other human rights groups to get them on our side & we’ll piggyback onto their cause. We have to get cunning & do what the politicians do, which is “you scratch my back, & I can scratch yours”!
That’s the only way to get more numbers rather than working in isolation in our 2% of the population group, we could increase our voice to 40% ………..!
Mong Bridge’s colleagues chimed in, with equal offensiveness:
Erica French From my experience the gay community is very pro Vax and I have no idea why?!?
Erin Anne Because they don’t have kids and therefore don’t care about any possible adverse side effects. I doubt they would be getting any vaccines themselves.
After a few of Mong Bridge’s colleagues questioned her terminology, Mong Bridge erased any mention of “the gays”, or the whole community. She decided she would no longer include them, at all. Thinking is hard:
Amber Russell Zili Lau do you want to edit your post so it doesn’t say ‘the gays’. Case in point- saying ‘the blacks’ is offensive. Same goes for ‘the gays.’
Zili Lau Thanks for picking that up Amber. I’ve now changed it. As I think it’s more worthwhile aligning with environmental groups. I reckon a majority who care about the earth also care about what goes into their own bodies!
On January 3 2016, registered nurse Aleena Noad posted in Anti-Vaccination Australia about letterbox drops that had taken place around the Mount Tamborine area:
Aleena Noad This was left in my mail box whilst I was on holidays. I had to read it twice to make sure it wasn’t actually pro vax!
Any thoughts?
I like it but I think some of the resources are pretty outdated and old.
Always good to see action though.
More pics in comments
Noad’s anti-vaccine colleagues made plans to create their own flyers for distribution:
Brianandtracey Simpson awesome – big shout out to whoever done this. great to see. now if only we could force people to actually open their minds and read before they threw it in the bin. but even if you only get one person to read it was still worth it 🙂
Megan Johnson This is what we all need to be doing! Lets get some facts printed off and do letterbox drops 🙂
Megan Johnson Whos kickass on computers in the group? I can press print but thats about it. Some simple easy to read facts and some ingredients and great links would be awesome.
Amy Daniels Im a graphic designer. But ive only researched what was relevant to my condition re vaccines so im not as knowledgeable as the other ladies on here
Jason Wood Casually place these in Dr’s and hospital waiting rooms. Haha.
Amy Daniels Or in centrelink. Its so depressing in there they have a big screen playing constant vaccine ads while people wait and watch it looks like the brainwashing of sheep
Megan Johnson Lets make a stand and commit ourselves to getting the truth out there, I think letter drops are a good start 🙂
Meg Rhiannon Will definitely get in on the letter dropping. I need the exercise as well 🙂
Cat Wilson can these be added to files so we can print them off?
Brittany-j Toretto I will make some up by the end of the week & post them up here for people to hand out i think this is an awesome idea
Kelli Hurley Love it!! Would love to see this being put in everyone’s mail box!!
Joanna Mander Great idea we should all print off some everyone and distribute in our neighbourhoods
And speaking of proselytising in Centrelink, we cannot go past this disturbing video made by Frank Vazquez, ranting in his local Centrelink office about “crimes against humanity” whilst his poor daughter makes uncomfortable noises of distress.
The fourth and final point I want to cover surrounds the frequent attacks anti-vaccinationists heap upon those whom they perceive to be a threat. Everyone is fair game. Often emitting cries that they are being persecuted, anti-vaccinationists are renowned for vilifying bereaved parents of whom they are jealous. They are renowned for vilifying critics and inciting violence against those who merely report on the cruel activities of the antivax pressure groups. They are renowned for condoning anti-Semitism and sexism, and have no problems affiliating with thugs. And they condone death threats made by their colleagues.
Anti-vaccinationists concoct a narrative of persecution. They are the freedom fighters battling the harmful outsiders who are intent on corrupting purity. Antivaxers even attack their friends from the safety of their closed and secret antivax groups. Friends become the other; a threat; a source of ignorance which must be rejected in the pursuit and protection of ideology. Friends are derided. They are excommunicated.
On January 7 2015, Sarah Foskett unloaded on one of her ungrateful friends, in Vaccine Free Australia:
Sarah Foskett I’m, so, so, so tired of posting good, quality, information on vaccines (the info that Courtney posted only a short time ago with masses of links to doctors discussing the matter etc) only to get responses from friends like: “but myself and my children are fully vaccinated, and we have never reacted, and no amount of reading will convince me that vaccines are bad” ….. We have become a dumbed-down, numb society and I fear for my children’s future if it continues like this.
How does she know that her children haven’t reacted? How does she know that they wouldn’t have been different, smarter, quicker, brighter, without the toxic vaccine doses?
The limitations on these peoples thinking scares me – so she’s never seen a ‘serious’ reaction within her small circle? This means they are safe?
And this woman is a newly registered health care professional! I fear for her patients, but I don’t want to start an argument with her (though she regularly argues with me on the topic) because my long-term friendship with her means more than my views on healthcare. I just wish she’d read some of the stuff I post rather than arguing with it, it would make so much difference in her life, and the lives of her future patients.
The members reinforced the ideal of Foskett’s privileged status:
Bradley Dobson How does she know her children’s children won’t react. Hate to think what the schedule will look like then…..
Tristan Wells You can’t ask people to confront their cognitive dissonance you have to shove it in front of their faces.
That is where the “a 70kg adult receiving the equivalent dose as babies would get around 400 vaccines over the space of 18 months” comes in.
Sarah Foskett lol thanks Tristan, unfortunately a comment like that would start an argument with her. The cognitive dissonance is strong in this one 😉
I just needed to vent – the frustration gets to me sometimes.
On January 9 2016, in Unvaccinated Australia, Emma Gibney sought confirmation of one of the enduring narratives, the deaths of the many caused by the harmful outsiders:
Emma Gibney How many children have died from the current Australian Immunisation schedule?? Arguing against a pro vaxxer making huge claims that anti vaxxers are liars and no evidence??
The usual misinformation was supplied by Gibney’s colleagues, including PhD holder, Pavel Kalinov. The very link provided by Kalinov brings up a warning that “adverse events” are not an indication of causation. This is a common, inconvenient fact upon which anti-vaccinationists build their dishonest fables of mass harm and death:
– search for “vaccine”, select “all”, limit to all year 2014 (last with full data), order by “deaths” – you get 8 for that year.
These are people who do not care that an “adverse event” (no causation established) is fundamentally different to a “side effect” (causation established). The lies continue:
Kayla DÁssumpcao Most sids cases would be. Since that’s on all vaccine inserts too .. I know mmr and dtap have that stated as a side effect. Babies don’t just go to bed healthy and fine then die through the night .. there are obviously the few that’s suffocate etc. But most are from vac
Kayla DÁssumpcao The sids we site claims roughly 3,500 babies die a year from sids.. …
Emma Gibney I just want to say a huge thank you to you all. Sometimes I feel I’m on my own fighting against the world with regards to vaccinations. To have you all take time from your families and lives to support me with the questions I have put up here over the last few months makes me very thankful I’m with a group of supportive, likeminded parents, grandparents and health advocates. Thank you
Just today, January 11 2016, I received this blog comment wishing for the harm of babies, based upon these fables of the corruption of purity by forces which seek to harm the innocent:
Please, please, vaccinate all your beautiful children and all your grandchildren and all your great grand-children…because the human genome can only withstand 3 generations of Big Pharma vaccine assault anyhow.
And, only some hours ago, on January 11 2015, in Unvaccinated Australia, a News Limited journalist was the target of a conspiracy theory in which her name was mocked, and her identity transferred onto me:
Lulu Langford [real name Louisa Kenzig] The meaning of the name Monique is ‘Advisor’ and Hore… well…. I reckon it’s Hank.
Lynette KennedyAfter reading some of her previous articles, I say forget Dee Hore.
Maria MurphyShe can barely construct a sentence. So…I guess that means she’s perfect for the Herald Sun.
Finally, some of the most hateful attacks from anti-vaccinationists, in the last few days, have come at the expense of Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook. Using Facebook to go after Zuckerberg, and his baby daughter, antivaxers let fly with their full arsenal of delusional denialism.
On January 10 2016, in Unvaccinated Australia, full-mental-jacket conspiracy theorist, Adam Crabb, kicked off:
Adam George Crabb How perfectly timed & this looks like a publicity stunt to me. Show us the child actually getting vaccinated, prove that this is a real doctors office & i may consider believing this. Look at his wording, ‘Doctor’s visit — time for vaccines!, This is a creepy thing for anyone to say & who says it like that anyway? It’s like saying, ‘Candy Store – Time For Yummy Treats.
His broken co-conspiracy theorists joined in:
Margherita Ghezzi If that baby got anything done (I would bet NO), it would only be saline solution… conjectures yes, but I am 99.999% convinced as most people I think
Hanan H Saleh Unless he has video footage of her getting her shots I won’t believe it.
Melissa Grainey I would 100% believe that the injections his daughter got were 100% normal saline with not an actual vaccine in sight
Georgie Rush Bullshit its a stunt to get people to vaccinate.
Sophia Constantine Yeah right as if he’d actually be injecting his own daughter with the same shit they’re using to depopulate us minions with..
And this was tame.
On January 9 2015, on the Facebook profile of Flat Earther, Nikki Cornish (yes, she really is a Flat Earther), Zuckerberg copped more flak:
Nikki Cornish I believe this is all put on.. There is no way he would be vaccinating.. He knows the truth.. But he’d be getting a nice reward for posting this photo and pushing the vaccine agenda!
Nikki Cornish ^^^^ right!! But if I say all that I’d look reallyyyy crazy!!
Marc Andrew Garibaldi Nikki. You are spot on. He is probably sitting in his own house.
Nikki Louise Cole He’s a coward and even more ridiculous than he already seems by all the other stuff that is said or not said that we will never know the real truth about.
Time for attempting of murder of his own child. This is an involuntary act portrayed by millions or billions in the world..just for money, perks, kickbacks, acceptance, control, greed, nastiness all the way to the devil, the temporary governor of this system of things. Pure nastiness. Get any fruit juice, ideally organic, will be better than pretty much anything of this planet (Gen. 1:29).
Mark Zuckerberg, read just a little bit more.
But the worst was exposed, yesterday, on Refutations to Anti-Vaccine Memes. Anti-vaccinationists actually desired the death of Mark Zuckerberg’s baby, whilst also using anti-Semitism to attack Zuckerberg:
Just think about this. How far into an ideology must one be to desire the death of a 6 week old baby girl?
That’s why I loosely refer to anti-vaccinationism as a cult.
First off, a quick note: readers will notice that this post is entitled Anti-vaccine chiropractors 66. Where are the other ones, from 51-65? They were previously named Anti-vaccine chiropractors redux 1-15. As I thought the original Anti-vaccine chiropractors series would forever cease at number 50, and that I wouldn’t be continuing with that series, I started up the “redux” series, when the evidence kept rolling on in. To save confusion I’ve removed the redux series, added them to the original 50, and decided that we’ll soldier on towards the magical 100. Hopefully there isn’t a need. But, you know…
Today’s featured businessperson is Victorian registered chiropractor, Belinda Owen. Owen owns a business called Passion Chiropractic, in Melbourne. She is, of course, a member of the Chiropractors’ Association of Australia.
She practices gentle techniques such as SOT, Activator, Cranial and is Webster certified. Belinda has a special interest in pregnancy, babies and family health
For look at the discredited Webster Technique, I highly recommend reading this 2014 article by Dr Mick Vagg.
We find that Owen does indeed have a very special interest in pregnancy and babies. On December 8 2012, Owen posted this photograph of herself adjusting a 3 day old infant in a Melbourne hospital:
We now know – with several precedents now published – that this activity is in breach of the Chiropractic Board of Australia’s Code of Conduct for Chiropractors. Again, I will include a list of common sections of the CoC, and other pertinent codes and guidelines, in an addendum at the end of this post; this addendum can be easily copypasted for use in complaints to the regulator, AHPRA.
By Owen’s own admission, on her website’s babies page, we know that this is likely not the only time that the adjustment of a baby has happened in a health care facility. Describing the disreputable chiropractic birth trauma argument, for the adjustment of neonates, Owen notes [my bold]:
Giving birth is an incredible experience. It can also be quite stressful for mum and traumatic for baby. If you think about it, it makes sense…
Even during normal births there is compression and stretching of baby’s delicate spine…
These can all have serious implications on your baby’s spinal and nervous system, and have serious consequences to their development. Therefore, it is very important to have your chiropractor check your baby as early as day one. At Passion Chiropractic in Elwood we have treated many babies on the day they were born.
If you really want to do some swearing at your screen, check out Owen’s entire pregnancy web page. Here is an example:
Chiropractic adjustments during pregnancy help clear the nervous system of interference, ensuring you and your baby are as healthy as possible.
I have kept copies of these two web pages, in case they go missing.
One extra concerning item jumped out from Owen’s babies web page. Embedded is a YouTube video, by Jennifer Barham-Floreani, which is basically a toxins gambit set to music. And this is one of the sources of toxins, according to JBF:
Which brings us to evidence that Owen is an anti-vaccination activist, albeit more quietly in the last few years.
In 2009 we find this Tweet, which links to the amusingly inept Bronwyn Hancock of Sydney’s Vaccination Information Service:
Readers would remember Bronwyn Hancock “drowning” at the hands of her friend, not-a-medical-doctor Viera Scheibner, in June 2011:
VIERA: [to Hancock] Don’t answer things that you don’t know enough about, OK – don’t answer them. You were drowning. So let’s call a spade a spade.
ELLEN FANNING: Why would she be drowning?
VIERA: Because she hasn’t got the extent of knowledge that I have.
ELLEN FANNING: If she hasn’t got the extensive knowledge, why on earth is she writing these articles on the website?
VIERA: Maybe you have a point then, yes. That’s right. Maybe you have a point there, okay.
On July 27 2012, Owen made this stunning claim about vaccines:
yes if everybody knew what went into vaccinations they might rethink their choice! x
Owen was warned by a friend about the CBA’s 2013 press release, a couple of days after it was issued:
Owen promotes the anti-vaccination chiropractic organisation, the ICPA:
And she even included the Raggedy Ann story, in 2014:
Looking at The Wayback Machine we also find that Owen ‘s website contained links to Bronwyn Hancock’s rabid anti-vaccination organisation, VIS, for at least 2009-2011.
Owen is also an anti-fluoride activist, who just so happens to sell water filtration devices!
Here is the infamous Harvard study, cited by anti-fluoridation liars across the world. October 2015:
This is from 2015:
This one is from 2014:
The final image is also from 2014:
Seriously. Posting anti-fluoridation lies and selling filtration devices.
Owen also makes the usual, illegal, subluxationist chiropractic claims about immune boosting, which have already been found to be in breach of The National Law, thanks to Tim Shakespeare.
This is another Tweet from 2009:
From July 2015:
From July 2014:
From July 2014, it’s Mr 200-400%:
From June 2014, this is almost exactly the same claims as the one Shakespeare had to remove:
Owen provides us with the expected claims about subluxations and related nerve interference.
It’s a pandemic. Of a thing which isn’t a thing. From September 2015:
Then there is this atrocity, from 2012:
The cranial adjustment, from 2012:
And, cranials again, in this 2012 Tweet:
Get your cranials checked. Your cranials.
Owen also makes the usual raft of discredited claims about chiropractic and children.
From 2015, we get colic:
From 2015, the treatment of ear infections:
Sometimes I just cannot even…
Owen claims to treat the “bad feelings” in her own son. This is an excruciating breach of The National Law. This is a regulated health profession. In 2015:
The treatment of allergies and sinus, with immune boosting claims. From 2014:
And, of course, bedwetting. From 2012:
In 2014, Owen posted this…thing…about the paleo diet in the treatment of autism:
And, in this 2015 post, Owen posted about the link between ultrasounds and autism. I swear I could hear my sonographer-friend’s carotids pop from here:
Owen also posts hideous cancer treatment claims. From Natural News, in 2015:
And let’s not forget the threats posed by mobile phone usage. From Collective Evolution, in 2015:
We should also note that the use of comparative advertising is a breach of The National Law.
From 2014:
From 2014, on the risk of stroke.Note that there is no mandatory adverse events reporting system for chiropractic in Australia. How Owen can post this with a straight face has me confused:
From 2014:
Finally, the ubiquitous testimonial, seen in plague proportions on chiropractic Facebook pages. This is illegal. From 2014:
I believe that all of the preceding evidence constitutes multiple breaches of multiple sections of the Chiropractic Board of Australia’s codes and guidelines.
I also believe that the Chiropractic Board of Australia does not have the ability to regulate the chiropractic profession. The job is just too big. The breaches are persistent and consistent. And there is no deterrence for rogue chiropractors – who are no small minority – who wave off the private, feather-tap requests of the CBA. The CBA would be more successful should it turn its attention to catching water in a net.
[Practitioners] have a duty to keep their skills and knowledge up to date, refine and develop their clinical judgement as they gain experience, and contribute to their profession.
All practitioners have a responsibility to recognise and work within the limits of their competence, scope and areas of practice. Areas of practice vary according to different roles; for example, health practitioners, education providers, researchers and managers will all have quite different competencies and scopes of practice.
2.1 Providing good care. Introduction
a. appropriately assessing the patient, taking into account their history (history includes relevant psychological, social and cultural aspects), views and conducting an appropriate physical examination
b. ensuring that the diagnosis/clinical impression is appropriate, relevant, justifiable and based on sound clinical reasoning
d. formulating and implementing a reasonable management plan (including providing treatment/care and advice and, where relevant, arranging investigations and liaising with other treating practitioners)
2.2 Good practice
a. recognising and working within the limits of the chiropractor’s competence and scope and area of practice, which may change over time
b. maintaining adequate knowledge and skills to provide safe and effective care, including providing treatment/care and advice and where relevant, arranging investigations and liaising with, or referring to, other health professionals
e. considering the balance of benefit and harm in all clinical management decisions
g. providing treatment/care options based on the best available information and practising in an evidence-based context and not being influenced by financial gain or incentives
h. ensuring that services offered are provided with the best possible skill, care and competence
m. ensuring that the chiropractor’s personal views do not adversely affect the care of their patients, and
n. evaluating practice and the decisions made and action taken in providing good care.
3.4 Confidentiality and privacy
b. seeking consent from patients before disclosing or sharing information
g. ensuring that all staff are aware of the need to respect the confidentiality and privacy of patients and refrain from discussing patients in a non-professional context
j. ensuring that use of social media and e-health is consistent with the practitioner’s ethical and legal obligations to protect privacy
3.5 Informed consent
b. providing an explanation of the treatment/care recommended, its likely duration, expected benefits and cost, any alternative(s) to the proposed care, their relative risks/benefits, as well as the likely consequences of no care
c. obtaining informed consent or other valid authority before undertaking any examination or investigation, providing treatment/care (this may not be possible in an emergency) or involving patients in teaching or research, including providing information on material risks
3.6 Informed financial consent
a. ensuring that any financial agreement is based on the clinical needs of the patient
3.7 Children and young people
b. placing the interests and wellbeing of the child or young person first
d. ensuring informed consent to providing care for children involves the patient’s parent and/or guardian being provided with clinically relevant information for the chiropractic management of the child; unless a chiropractor judges that a child is of sufficient age and mental and emotional capacity to give their own consent to a service and relevant state and territory laws are complied with
e. ensuring that risks of care and alternatives to care are sufficiently explained as these are essential elements of informed consent
4.1 Use of diagnostic and therapeutic modalities in chiropractic practice
a. a full and thorough assessment of patients using tools, tests and procedures that are appropriate for the gathering of information necessary to form a reasonable diagnosis or clinical impression
c. only using diagnostic tools, tests and procedures in accordance with established protocols for their appropriate use
d. evaluating and reporting the data obtained in a contextual way to ensure that a reasonable and relevant diagnosis/clinical impression is formed, and that appropriate and necessary care is provided
e. when using tools, tests and procedures in formulating a diagnosis/clinical impression, management plan and/or for prognostic purposes, the tools used should be for conditions where there are demonstrated acceptable levels of reliability and validity, and
f. not misrepresenting the clinical value or significance of the findings of any tool, test or procedure.
5.1 Respect for colleagues and other practitioners
b. acknowledging and respecting the contribution of all practitioners involved in patient care
6.4 Public health matters
a. understanding the principles of public health, including health education, health promotion, disease prevention, and control and screening
b. participating in efforts to promote the health of the community and being aware of obligations in disease prevention, including screening and reporting notifiable diseases where relevant
6.5 Provision of care in a healthcare facility
Good practice involves:
a. seeking permission to access and provide care
b. adhering to and following the policies and procedures of the facility
c. communicating effectively with other practitioners involved in the management of the patient
d. keeping the the facility informed of any care
e. ensuring professional indemnity insurance (PII) coverage to cover care in that facility, and
f. keeping adequate records.
9.6 Advertising
a. complying with the National Board’s Advertising guidelines and relevant state and territory legislation and Commonwealth law.
b. making sure that any information published about services is factual and verifiable
10.2 Chiropractors’ health
c. understanding the principles of immunisation against communicable diseases
Section 133 of the National Law prohibits advertising that:
is false, misleading or deceptive or is likely to be so
offers a gift, discount or other inducement to attract a user of the health service without stating the terms and conditions of the offer
uses testimonials or purported testimonials
creates an unreasonable expectation of beneficial treatment, and/or
encourages the indiscriminate or unnecessary use of health services.
6.2.1 Misleading or deceptive advertising
Section 133 of the National Law states:
1. A person must not advertise a regulated health service, or a business that provides a regulated health service, in a way that –
a. Is false, misleading or deceptive or is likely to be misleading or deceptive
Eg:
– mislead, either directly, or by implication, use of emphasis, comparison, contrast or omission
– only provide partial information which could be misleading
– imply that the regulated health services can be a substitute for public health vaccination or immunisation
– advertise the health benefits of a regulated health service when there is no proof that such benefits can be attained, and/or
– compare different regulated health professions or practitioners, in the same profession or across professions, in a way that may mislead or deceive.
6.2.2 Gifts and discounts
Section 133 of the National Law states:
1. A person must not advertise a regulated health service, or a business that provides a regulated health service, in a way that –
b. Offers a gift, discount or other inducement to attract a person to use the service or the business, unless the advertisement also states the terms and conditions of the offer
Advertising may contravene the National Law when it:
– contains price information that is inexact
– contains price information that does not specify any terms and conditions or variables to an advertised price, or that could be considered misleading or deceptive
– states an instalment amount without stating the total cost (which is a condition of the offer), and/or
– does not state the terms and conditions of offers of gifts, discounts or other inducements.
6.2.3 Testimonials
Section 133 of the National Law states:
1. A person must not advertise a regulated health service, or a business that provides a regulated health service, in a way that –
c. Uses testimonials or purported testimonials about the service or business
6.2.4 Unreasonable expectation of beneficial treatment
Section 133 of the National Law states:
1. A person must not advertise a regulated health service, or a business that provides a regulated health service, in a way that –
d. Creates an unreasonable expectation of beneficial treatment
6.2.5 Encouraging indiscriminate or unnecessary use of health services
Section 133 of the National Law states:
1. A person must not advertise a regulated health service, or a business that provides a regulated health service, in a way that –
e. Directly or indirectly encourages the indiscriminate or unnecessary use of regulated health services
When using social media, health practitioners should remember that the National Law, their National Board’s code of ethics and professional conduct (the Code of conduct) and the Guidelines for advertising regulated health services (the Advertising guidelines) apply.
Registered health practitioners should only post information that is not in breach of these obligations by:
complying with professional obligations
complying with confidentiality and privacy obligations (such as by not discussing patients or posting pictures of procedures, case studies, patients, or sensitive material which may enable patients to be identified without having obtained consent in appropriate situations)
presenting information in an unbiased, evidence-based context, and
not making unsubstantiated claims.
Additional information may be available from professional bodies and/or employers, which aims to support health practitioners’ use of social media. However, the legal, ethical, and professional obligations that registered health practitioners must adhere to are set out in the National Boards’ respective Code of conduct and the Advertising guidelines.
Welcome to 2016, everyone; and welcome to a brand new series which highlights the anti-vaccination activism of registered Australian nurses and midwives. As with the ongoing series on anti-vaccine chiropractors, posts in this series will feature examples of the anti-vaccination activities of an individual. Some of the posts will be so long that many examples will be left out; other posts only contain a couple of examples. At the end of each post there will be an addendum of selections of pertinent codes and guidelines of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, which can be used by readers to lodge formal complaints against a particular nurse or midwife.
Public photo courtesy Facebook 2015.
Joanne Howard is a registered nurse/midwife whom we met previously, in July 2012, due to her overt anti-vaccination activities – made whilst citing her qualifications and nursing employment – on the Facebook page of Meryl Dorey’s disreputable anti-vaccination cabal, the Australian Vaccination-skeptics Network. Previous to that original post Howard noted on her Facebook profile that she worked at Goulburn Valley Health – she is no longer employed there – and her AHPRA registration of August 2012 showed her registration was based in Shepparton, Victoria:
This screenshot from Howard’s profile, from July 22 2012, shows that Howard was already deeply into her anti-vaccination activism:
On the AVN Facebook page Howard was making a fast name for herself by citing her role as a nurse/midwife. From July 23 2012:
On July 23-24 2012, Howard even scoffed at the regulator, AHPRA, being unable to take any action against her for her public anti-vaccinationism on the AVN Facebook page:
Ha!! LMAO 😀 Report what to AHPRA?
Howard had decided to take her anti-vaccination activism seriously, and she was now a fierce defender of Dorey and the AVN. From July 26 2012:
On July 28 2012, Howard stated that “vaccines are not safe or effective” and posted that vaccines are the cause of SIDS and autism:
By this time Howard had joined the AVN’s closed Facebook group, HELP THE AUSTRALIAN VACCINATION NETWORK, which was created to plan and support the AVN’s anti-vaccination activism. From August 12 2012:
On August 18 2012, Howard denigrated the MMR vaccine whilst advocating that measles infections are not serious, whilst supporting the anti-vaccine conspiracy theories of Meryl Dorey:
August 18 2012 continued:
Taken on September 29 2012, these screenshots show Howard’s then-Facebook likes. There is the infamous, dangerous Black Salve page:
We note that Howard was a member of the then-fledgling Support the AVN Facebook page, as well as Erwin Alber’s VINE page:
We can see that Howard was indeed an admin of the Support the AVN Facebook page, by the simultaneous timing of these two posts. From April 7 2013:
On October 2 2012, Howard – along with the Support the AVN page – agreed with a post on the AVN page which stated, “The Entire Vaccine Industry is a Fraud”:
On October 10 2012, Howard lashed out at members of the community who had lodged legitimate complaints with the Goulburn Valley Health Service about her online anti-vaccination activism whilst citing her employment and qualifications:
Bunch of arrogant pricks!!
On October 13 2012, Howard also lashed out on the Stop the Australian (anti) Vaccination Network Facebook page, citing what she claimed are children “that are hurt/maimed/disabled by vaccines”:
Howard went off the radar for a few years; but, she came to our attention again in 2015, as a member of the rabid anti-vaccination Facebook group, Unvaccinated Australia:
Howard’s nursing/midwifery registration is still current, and it shows the principal place of practice is now Mount Toolebewong, which is where Howard now resides, on a community called Moora Moora:
In the Unvaccinated Australia group, Howard posted, on October 25 2015, that the expected rise in the uptake in immunisations due to the No Jab No Pay legislation was all about income for doctors:
On November 16 2015, in the Unvaccinated Australia group, Howard asserted that a mother who shared her story about her baby contracting whooping cough – so as to warn other parents of the danger posed by the disease – was a “silly mumma”:
On November 17 2015, Howard claimed that a media item warning parents about the dangers of whooping cough in babies was “same old media scaring bullshit about whooping cough…yawn”:
Howard also denied that the baby boy had whooping cough, despite having never cared for the infant, whilst showing a clear lack of understanding of the disease’s progression:
When we look at Howard’s Facebook profile we see a steady stream of anti-vaccination activism. From July 13 2015 we see this conspiratorial petition:
On August 25 2015, Howard shared another anti-vaccination petition:
On August 30 2015, Howard shared this anti-vaccination screed written by the callous Fiona Elizabeth (AKA Natural Holistic Mum, now called Conscious Life Mama):
On September 17 2015, Howard shared another anti-vaccination petition:
On September 19 2015, Howard shared this anti-vaccination petition:
On September 27 2015, Howard shared this anti-Gardasil conspiracy post:
Also on September 27 2015, Howard shared this astonishing, delusional conspiracy post – written by Tim Bolen! – about big pharma murdering alternative health people:
On October 12 2015, Howard shared the vaccines-cause-autism lie:
On October 15 2015, Howard shared this breathtakingly inept, debunked Daily Mail article from 2006, as if it was still current news:
On October 16 2015, Howard shared this post which claims that the Gardasil vaccine is a “giant deadly scam”:
And, on a personal note, how could I not finish up with Howard’s involvement in the page set up by Olivier and Giselle Kara Vles, The Unreasonable Wank? From December 6 2015:
Howard has previously claimed I had attempted to have her fired for her online anti-vaccination activism:
I’m not sure I would be comfortable working alongside this person. And I believe that parents have a right to know who is providing their health care. And I strongly believe that health care professionals have a duty of care to their patients, families, and co-workers, to take all the evidence-based steps they can to reduce the spread of disease, and misinformation, in our shared community. It’s up to the public health system as to whether or not they retain this type of individual; but, I can only hope some serious retraining and education can be provided for someone in this person’s position of influence.
I did lodge a complaint with Goulburn Valley Health, in 2012. GVH took no action, despite the evidence submitted. But, at no time did I request Howard’s employment be terminated. I no longer hold such desires. Howard needs to be deregistered. Nothing less will suffice. She is a public health menace.
Code of Professional Conduct for Nurses in Australia
1 Nurses practise in a safe and competent manner.
2 Nurses practise in accordance with the standards of the profession and broader health system.
Conduct Statement 2
Nurses practise in accordance with the standards of the profession and broader health system
Explanation
1 Nurses are responsible for ensuring the standard of their practice conforms to professional standards developed and agreed by the profession, with the object of enhancing the safety of people in their care as well as their partners, family members and other members of the person’s nominated network. This responsibility also applies to the nurses’ colleagues.
2 Nurses practise in accordance with wider standards relating to safety and quality in health care and accountability for a safe health system, such as those relating to health documentation and information management, incident reporting and participation in adverse event analysis and formal open disclosure procedures.
3 Nurses practise and conduct themselves in accordance with laws relevant to the profession and practice of nursing.
Conduct Statement 3
Nurses practise and conduct themselves in accordance with laws relevant to the profession and practice of nursing
Explanation
1 Nurses are familiar with relevant laws and ensure they do not engage in clinical or other practices prohibited by such laws or delegate to others activities prohibited by those laws.
2 Nurses witnessing the unlawful conduct of colleagues and other co-workers, whether in clinical, management, education or research areas of practice, have both a responsibility and an obligation to report such conduct to an appropriate authority and take other appropriate action as necessary to safeguard people and the public interest.
4 Nurses respect the dignity, culture, ethnicity, values and beliefs of people receiving care and treatment, and of their colleagues.
5 Nurses treat personal information obtained in a professional capacity as private and confidential.
6 Nurses provide impartial, honest and accurate information in relation to nursing care and health care products.
Conduct Statement 6
Nurses provide impartial, honest and accurate information in relation to nursing care and health care products
Explanation
1 When nurses provide advice about any care or product, they fully explain the advantages and disadvantages of alternative care or products so individuals can make informed choices. Nurses refrain from engaging in exploitation, misinformation or misrepresentation with regard to health care products and nursing care.
2 Nurses accurately represent the nature of their services or the care they intend to provide.
3 Where a specific care or a specific product is advised, nurses ensure their advice is based on adequate knowledge and not on commercial or other forms of gain. Deceptive endorsement of products or services or receipt of remuneration for products or services primarily for personal gain, other than remuneration in the course of a proper commercial relationship, is improper.
7 Nurses support the health, wellbeing and informed decision-making of people requiring or receiving care.
8 Nurses promote and preserve the trust and privilege inherent in the relationship between nurses and people receiving care.
Conduct Statement 8
Nurses promote and preserve the trust and privilege inherent in the relationship between nurses and people receiving care
Explanation
1 An inherent power imbalance exists within the relationship between people receiving care and nurses that may make the persons in their care vulnerable and open to exploitation. Nurses actively preserve the dignity of people through practised kindness and respect for the vulnerability and powerlessness of people in their care. Significant vulnerability and powerlessness can arise from the experience of illness and the need to engage with the health care system. The power relativities between a person and a nurse can be significant, particularly where the person has limited knowledge; experiences pain and illness; needs assistance with personal care; belongs to a marginalised group; or experiences an unfamiliar loss of self-determination. This vulnerability creates a power differential in the relationship between nurses and persons in their care that must be recognised and managed.
4 Nurses fulfil roles outside the professional role, including those as family members, friends and community members. Nurses are aware that dual relationships may compromise care outcomes and always conduct professional relationships with the primary intent of benefit for the person receiving care. Nurses take care when giving professional advice to people with whom they have a dual relationship (e.g. a family member or friend) and advise them to seek independent advice due to the existence of actual or potential conflicts of interest.
9 Nurses maintain and build on the community’s trust and confidence in the nursing profession.
Conduct Statement 9
Nurses maintain and build on the community’s trust and confidence in the nursing profession
Explanation
1 The conduct of nurses maintains and builds public trust and confidence in the profession at all times.
2 The unlawful and unethical actions of nurses in their personal lives risk adversely affecting both their own and the profession’s good reputation and standing in the eyes of the public. If the good standing of either individual nurses or the profession were to diminish, this might jeopardise the inherent trust between the nursing profession and the public necessary for effective therapeutic relationships and the effective delivery of nursing care.
3 Nurses consider the ethical interests of the nursing profession and the community when exercising their right to freedom of speech and participating in public, political and academic debate, including publication.
10 Nurses practise nursing reflectively and ethically.
Conduct Statement 10
Nurses practise nursing reflectively and ethically
Explanation
1 Nurses practise nursing reflectively and ethically, in accordance with the Code of Ethics for Nurses in Australia, in order to learn from experience and contribute to personal and professional practice.
2 Nurses develop and maintain appropriate and current quality nursing advice, support and care for each person requiring and receiving care and their partners, families and other members of their nominated social network. This responsibility also applies to colleagues of nurses.
3 Nurses evaluate their conduct and competency according to the standards of the nursing profession.
4 Nurses contribute to the professional development of students and colleagues.
5 Nurses participating in research do so in accordance with recognised research guidelines and do not violate their duty of care to persons receiving nursing care.
6 Nurses advise employers and any persons in their care of any reduction in their capacity to practise due to health, social or other factors, while they seek ways of redressing the problem.
_____________________________________
Code of Ethics for Nurses in Australia
1 Nurses value quality nursing care for all people.
2 Nurses value respect and kindness for self and others.
3 Nurses value the diversity of people.
4 Nurses value access to quality nursing and health care for all people.
5 Nurses value informed decision-making.
Value Statement 5
Nurses value informed decision-making
Explanation
Nurses value people’s interests in making free and informed decisions. This includes people having the opportunity to verify the meaning and implication of information being given to them when making decisions about their nursing and health care. Nurses also recognise that making decisions is sometimes constrained by circumstances beyond individual control and that there may be circumstances where informed decision making cannot always be fully realised.
1 Self: Nurses make informed decisions in relation to their practice within the constraints of their professional role and in accordance with ethical and legal requirements. Nurses are entitled to do this without undue pressure or coercion of any kind. Nurses are responsible for ensuring their decision-making is based on contemporary, relevant and well-founded knowledge and information.
2 Person (health consumer): Nurses value the legal and moral right of people, including children, to participate whenever possible in decision-making concerning their nursing and health care and treatment, and assist them to determine their care on the basis of informed decision making. This may involve ensuring people who do not speak English have access to a qualified health interpreter. Nurses recognise and respect the rights of people to engage in shared decision-making when consenting to care and treatment. Nurses also value the contribution made by persons whose decision-making may be restricted because of incapacity, disability or other factors, including legal constraints. Nurses are knowledgeable about such circumstances and in facilitating the role of family members, partners, friends and others in contributing to decision-making processes.
3 Colleagues: Nurses respect the rights of colleagues and members of other disciplines to participate in informed decision-making. Making these collaborative and informed decisions includes involving the person requiring or receiving nursing care (or their representative) in decisions relating to their nursing or health care, without being subject to coercion of any kind.
4 Community: Nurses value the contribution made by the community to nursing and health care decision-making through a range of activities, including consumer groups, advocacy and membership of health-related committees. Nurses also assist in keeping the community accurately informed on nursing and health-related issues.
6 Nurses value a culture of safety in nursing and health care.
Value Statement 6
Nurses value a culture of safety in nursing and health care
Explanation
Valuing a culture of safety involves nurses actively engaging in the development of shared knowledge and understanding of the crucial importance of safety in contemporary health care. Nurses who value a culture of safety appreciate that safety is everyone’s responsibility. Nurses support the development of risk management processes and a practice environment designed to reduce the incidence and impact of preventable adverse events in health care. Nurses also support the open disclosure of any adverse events to any person affected during the course of their care.
1 Self: Nurses value safe practice and a safe working environment; practise within the limitations of their knowledge and skills; and recognise and avoid situations where their ability to deliver quality care may be impaired. Nurses have a moral and legal right to practise in a safe environment, without fear for their own safety or that of others, and they seek remedies through accepted channels, including legal action, when this is not the case. Nurses value the maintenance of competence in contributing to a safe care and practice environment.
2 Person (health consumer): Nurses recognise that people are vulnerable to injuries and illnesses as a result of preventable human error and adverse events while in health care settings. Nurses play a key role in the detection and prevention of errors and adverse events in health care settings, and support and participate in systems to identify circumstances where people are at risk of harm. Nurses act to prevent or control such risks through prevention, monitoring, early identification and early management of adverse events. Nurses contribute to the confidential reporting of adverse events and errors, and to organisational processes for the open disclosure of these events to persons affected during the course of their care.
3 Colleagues: Nurses work with their colleagues to create a culture of safety. Nurses support the development of safer health care systems through non-punitive human error, adverse event management and related education. Nurses value the critical relationship between consumer safety and interprofessional competencies, including trustful communication, teamwork and situation awareness. Nurses view the detection of their own errors and risks or those of their colleagues as opportunities for achieving a safer health care system.
4 Community: Nurses, acting through their professional and industrial organisations and other appropriate authorities, participate in developing and improving the safety and quality of health care services for all people. This includes actively promoting the provision of equitable, just and culturally and socially responsive health care services for all people living, or seeking residence or asylum, in Australia. It also involves raising public awareness about the nature and importance of consumer safety programs in health care services.
7 Nurses value ethical management of information.
8 Nurses value a socially, economically and ecologically sustainable environment promoting health and wellbeing.
When using social media, health practitioners should remember that the National Law, their National Board’s code of ethics and professional conduct (the Code of conduct) and the Guidelines for advertising regulated health services (the Advertising guidelines) apply.
Registered health practitioners should only post information that is not in breach of these obligations by:
complying with professional obligations
complying with confidentiality and privacy obligations (such as by not discussing patients or posting pictures of procedures, case studies, patients, or sensitive material which may enable patients to be identified without having obtained consent in appropriate situations)
presenting information in an unbiased, evidence-based context, and
not making unsubstantiated claims.
Additional information may be available from professional bodies and/or employers, which aims to support health practitioners’ use of social media. However, the legal, ethical, and professional obligations that registered health practitioners must adhere to are set out in the National Boards’ respective Code of conduct and the Advertising guidelines.
…illness keeps population in control and is meant to eliminate the weak and build a stronger species.
There’s nothing quite like love hearts from a eugenicist, is there?
Singleton appeared on several television networks, and in several news articles, and even became world infamous. Here she is lapping up the attention on Sunrise:
Singleton gloated about the positive impact her narcissism would have for her personal endeavours. Here she is on December 7 2015:
If this does I’m going to finally get my spot in camera for the outlet I’ve needed to go viral 😉
Then, on December 11 2015, Singleton gloated some more about her emotional pay-dirt:
Yay! I was interviewed today for the Sunday Mail (in Brissy) about Chicken pox, and I’m very happy to keep climbing the media ladder!
Then, on December 14 2015, at approximately 1500 hours, Singleton was complaining about media harassment, accusing them of stalking her:
…I have media stalking me…Harassmant suits are being filed soon 🙂
And then, On December 14 2015, at 2132 hours, Singleton was back to gloating about her media infamy:
Oh god I’m famous now! If I get a live interview, it’s on!
You read that correctly. She accused the media of harassing and stalking her; then, approximately six hours later she was back to gloating about her media exposure.
Since her penchant for for weeding out “the weak” was made world famous Singleton has been keeping a low profile. But, she’s back. And she’s on a roll.
Singleton’s story was shared by none other than Sherri Tenpenny, who thinks the poor thing is being picked on:
Singleton made an appearance in the comments, under Tenpenny’s post, declaring that her critics are “evil”. Meryl Dorey – of the anti-vaccination cabal, the Australian Vaccination-skeptics Network – has taught her well, it seems:
Yes evil people picking on me for doing something so normal
Deliberately inflicting disease upon hers and other people’s children is “normal”. It’s important to keep reminding ourselves of this point.
And if we have a look at exactly who liked this comment from Zoran Jev, we find that being offensive to people with a disability is also in the Singleton list of must-dos:
Zoran JevDon’t let it get you down Hollie. The brainwashed sheep are just retards. They listen to mainstream media without doing any real research of the dangers of vaccines. Bill Gates said in an address to some university student. With proper health care and vaccinations , we can reduce the worlds population.
Back in the secret group, Vaccine Free Australia, one of Singleton’s colleagues pointed out Singleton’s infamy, yesterday afternoon:
And Singleton replied only some minutes ago that her critics are “stupid”, “dumb”, and “ignorant”:
I love the support I have from people who are not dumb or ignorant. The stupid people are the ones who refuse to look at the whole picture because they were taught to question and challenge information forced on them. Yet most are too stupid to know they are being forced fed also. Stupid can be stopped. Just read. Ask the hard questions. Demand more information. Be informed.
So, as long as you are not weak, retarded, stupid, dumb, and/or ignorant, you’ll get by just fine in Singleton’s new world order.
Bow down in front of your philosopher-queen, peasants.
Yes. Singleton now claims to be vindicated in all of her actions and all of her advocacy for deliberately infecting children, because she now claims her children did not have chicken pox.
The logic is not strong in this one. Plenty of hubris. Not much logic.
Registered Australian chiropractor Jennifer Barham-Floreani (JBF) is a regular feature of this blog for her unabashed anti-vaccinationism. She regularly presents at overseas anti-vaccination chiropractic events alongside such gods of anti-vaccinationism as Andrew Wakefield, Barbara Loe Fisher and Billy DeMoss (I’ll include a list of blog posts at the end of this post). JBF featured in my most recent chiropractic blog post, only three weeks ago:
When the CBA made its August 2013 declaration against anti-vaccination misinformation, Jennifer Barham-Floreani brazenly stated in public – the very next day – that she would not be complying with the CBA’s demands. And she’s still registered, for some reason:
But high-profile chiropractors say they will continue providing information about both sides of the vaccination argument.
Chiropractor and author Jennifer Barham-Floreani says it will not stop her colleagues from giving patients advice.
“Chiropractors will certainly be working towards making sure that the information that they convey to parents is the latest, up-to-date information that presents both sides of the vaccination debate,” she said.
Also seen on Catalyst, in the Floreani business, was Jennifer Barham-Floreani’s book Well Adjusted Babies, which contains a 40-page anti-vaccine chapter so rife with misinformation it would almost make Meryl Dorey blush (almost). Notable citations in the chapter are ex-Dr Rebecca Carley, Not-a-doctor Viera Scheibner, the NVIC, Jim Carrey, “British vaccine expert Andrew Wakefield” (I’m serious), and homeopath Isaac Golden. Golden is cited, of course, as an authority on the effectiveness of homeoprophylaxis. We now know Golden’s reputation was officially trashed in the recent Federal Court case in which the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission succeeded against Homeopathy Plus!, the court finding that Homeopathy Plus! “engaged in misleading conduct and made false or misleading representations regarding the effectiveness of the whooping cough vaccine and homeopathic remedies as an alternative”. I would argue strongly that Barham-Floreani is doing precisely the same thing.
To quote the Barham-Floreani gibberish which no longer even borders on reckless endangerment; it is a stark example of it, fit for inclusion in any dictionary:
Homeopathic vaccinations are an effective and safe alternative to conventional innoculations and warrant your investigation. [p380]
One can only hope the Chiropractic Board of Australia has read the Barham-Floreani chapter on immunisation. I’ll even send them a copy. I am imagining they will need it.
JBF’s anti-vaccine book even got a run in Mamamia, where it was disclosed that Miranda Kerr’s people – Kerr being a friend of the Floreanis – ordered the removal of a testimonial she gave which appeared on the book’s cover, as well as the removal of her quotes from all promotional material, like this:
The Floreanis are still the stars of the Chiropractors’ Association of Australia, as you can see from the recent CAA Annual General Meeting. They are The Teflon Two of Australian anti-vaccinationist chiropractic. The CBA appears unable to touch them. Or unwilling. Or inept.
This brief history of the Floreanis was brought about by a post which was made in the secret anti-vaccination Facebook group, Vaccine Free Australia (VFA). The group is hardly secret. It has appeared in multiple media articles over the last two weeks, and it has a membership of over 4000 people.
On December 16 2015, only four days ago, a Perth anti-vaccination activist started a thread singing the praises of JBF’s book, and attacking Mamamia for their June 2015 article:
Lara Warwick Dear Mammamia, thank you for giving publicity to the book ‘Well Adjusted Babies’. Had you not said anything I wouldn’t have noticed it in a book store recently. Even though your publicity was negative, I assure you this book will be shared, and used positively. Because of you, I was able to read this book with a smile on my face knowing you had led me to it. Thanks! 😘 (maybe I should actually send this to them).
JBF is herself a member of the rabidly anti-vaccine Facebook group:
The members of VFA quickly responded with their glowing testimonials of the book, its anti-vaccine chapter, and their local chiropractors who recommended the book and its anti-vaccine message.
Tammy Bennett, from just north-west of Hobart, noted the “discreet” anti-vaccination message of the book:
Tammy Bennett Saw this in my Chiro’s office… very good read! Apparently the Chiro’s got ‘in trouble’ by their association recently for having anti-vax literature in their office waiting rooms and have been aadvised to remove it… but this book is discreet, love it!
Julia Page, from Queensland’s Gold Coast, also noted her chiropractor’s influence:
Viki Punos, from Perth, noted that her chiropractor discussed his anti-vaccination beliefs with her, including that vaccines were the “cause” of some condition in her child:
Viki Punos I took my daughter to the chiro recently, first thing he asked was “is she vaccinated?” I answered yes (this is my oldest vaxed to 4yrs) he replied “that could be the cause”…then went on to explain that he was anti vax
Viki Punos We got talking as his wife and I were pregnant at the same time. It’s not often you bump into people with similar views.
But, having said that, even the form I had to fill out asked the question if she was vaccinated and up to which point…
Antivaxer Louise Iris Laval gave the anti-vaccine chapter a glowing review:
Louise Iris I don’t follow everything the author wrote about but found the vaccine section excellent
Kelly Santic, of Darwin, confirmed that her chiropractor also recommended an anti-vaccine book written by US antivax chiropractor Tim O’Shea, called The Sanctity of Human Blood: Vaccination is Not Immunization:
Kelly Santic Chiro also told me to have a look at book called Ticklish and The sanctity of human blood..
Brisbane anti-vaccine activist, Jay Dee, concurred:
Warwick – in reply to Sydney’s Aimee Buhagiar – stated what the CBA appears to be unable to find out for itself; JBF’s book “makes a strong case against” immunisation:
Bec Cameron, of Perth, purchased the anti-vaccine book due to the recommendations from the anti-vaccine VFA Facebook group:
Bec Cameron I just got this book two days ago 🙂 curtesy of this groups suggestions xx
Amanda Barton, of Queensland’s Hervey Bay, noted how the anti-vaccine “bible” impressed upon her decision-making process:
Amanda Barton BEST BOOK EVER! It’s my bible and it helped me make a lot of amazing decisions x
Jasmin Vesnaver, of Bunbury Western Australia, attacked Mia Freedman, whilst noting that Ms Freedman is not a doctor; surprisingly just like Ms Barham-Floreani is not a doctor:
Jasmin Vesnaver I’ve read some of this book and it’s great! Hahaaaaa suck shit mammamia!!!!!
Jasmin Vesnaver Seriously, it’s come to that point where if mammamia suggests it, I avoid it! If she ridicules something, I’m probably gonna love it!!!!
Jasmin Vesnaver Can we just add that the author is probably more qualified than Mia Freedman? Is Mia freedman a doctor now?
Rabid anti-vaccination activist Prue Neiberding, of Trafalgar Victoria, calls JBF’s book her “Baby Bible”:
Prue Neiberding I’m pretty sure this is the one Orlando Bloom’s ex was ridiculed for praising. I call it my Baby Bible
Natalie-anne Brewer, of Queensland’s Bray Park, stated that her chiropractor recommended the anti-vaccine book, at the time of the birth of her child:
Natalie-anne Brewer I was recommended this book by our chiro when my baby was born but haven’t been able to afford it. I check in op shops every time I go but doubt anyone will be giving away such a gem of a book.
Abbie Fetter, of Bridgetown Western Australia, likens the JBF book to another book called How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor, which was written by anti-vaccine US doctor, Robert Mendelsohn:
Abbie Fetter Great book. A must have for all mums. Also “How to raise a healthy child in spite of your doctor”
Clinton McCauley is a chiropractor based in Mt Barker South Australia. McCauley was also a board member of the Chiropractors’ Association of Australia South Australia from 2011-2013. He tags Barham-Floreani in the VFA group, drawing her attention to the “awesome testimonials”:
Some readers may remember the callous anti-vaccine chiropractor, McCauley, from a previous post in which it was shown that he cruelly shares anti-vaccine memes which include the photo of a deceased baby boy. The photo of that baby boy is being used without the permission of that baby boy’s bereaved parents:
Finally, the VFA thread concludes with Stephanie Cowper, of Cairns Queensland. Cowper credits Jennifer Barham-Floreani’s book with starting her on her anti-vaccination journey:
Stephanie Cowper This is the first book I read which got me questioning vaccines. A fantastic read which I have passed onto friends.
Rachel Baker, of Ringwood Victoria, states – in reply to Cowper – that the book had the same initial impact on her decision to follow the anti-vaccination path:
I have left out many comments which were solely testimonials for the book.
This keeps happening. I have nothing to add. So, I’ll just repeat what I said at the beginning of 2015:
Why is it left to members of the public to do anything about these outliers to reason and evidence? We’ll certainly know what internal action is being taken when it is consistently made available for the public, to whom the CBA owes the greatest duty of [public health and] safety.
In general, if the public doesn’t know which chiropractors are practising non-evidence based malarkey and worse, such as anti-vaccinationism, then, how can the public make an informed decision about their choice of chiropractor?
_____________________________________
Update December 30 2015
On December 8 2015 anti-vaccine crackpot Billy DeMoss uploaded a Simon Floreani interview to his YouTube channel. Floreani gives a glowing plug for DeMoss’ anti-vaccine event, CalJam. CalJam features a cornucopia of anti-vaccinationists and conspiracy theorists, including Andrew Wakefield, Sherri Tenpenny, Tim O’Shea, Alex Jones, Dane Wigington (chemtrails guy), amongst the line-up of public health menaces.
At 10:00 in the Floreani interview, Floreani plugs their book, Well Adjusted Babies, and makes some surprising claims about its vaccine chapter. I’ve kept a copy in case the video gets deleted:
Floreani: We’ve written a leading edge, best selling book with vaccine topics in it that has been vetted by the Government and put forward as one of the only books that chiropractors can actually use to talk about the “v” word. But, at the same time that’s one of the only books in the world that is rivaling what to expect when you’re expecting and getting into the ears of the parents…coming from Oz where…
DeMoss let’s have the title of the book
Floreani Well Adjusted Babies…
DeMoss Right, right, right…
Floreani …is allowed to be used in this country and yet this is the country where we’re not supposed to talk about the topic, so, of course, with that balance of some heavy regulation and some big hater groups who are funded by Big Pharma, we just let it roll, because like I’ve heard you say a million times, if you don’t receive some scrutiny then you’re not important…
DeMoss …you’re not doing anything. If you’re not rocking the boat, I mean…
_______________________________________
Collection of blog posts featuring Jennifer Barham-Floreani
Anti-vaccination activists in the secret Facebook group, Vaccine Free Australia, decided they would share some of their favourite one-liners which they use when family members harass, vilify and bully them at Christmas time. Deana Nichols kicked off the November 30 2015 post:
Deana Nichols Gah! Many xmas family gatherings approaching… What’s your favourite one liner to shut down pro-vax talk?
Rage-filled anti-vaccinationist – and Meryl Dorey’s favourite member of the Australian Vaccination-skeptics Network – Tristan Wells argued that any good anti-vaccination activist should dare their family to take his vaccine challenge:
Tristan Wells Tell them to take the entire infant immunisation schedule adjusted for their body weight. To give an idea, a 70 kg adult would receive around 400 vaccines over the course of 18 months. If they think that would be a walk in the park then they should take them. If not, they should shut up about other people thinking such a dose might not be such a good idea for their children.
Here is a lump of coal for Wells. He earned it:
Wells kicked them off in the right spirit:
Danielle Thompson “Have YOU done 2 years of reading scientific research papers to make decisions on your own child’s health? No? Ok bye”
Tristan Wells I don’t think that one is very effective Danielle Thompson. What it does it reinforces the idea that research is the key. And (in the minds of vaccine fanatics) who has done all the research? The doctors of course!
So you are reinforcing the primacy of the medical community.
Now I realise that doctors have in fact done virtually no research on this issue but vaccine fanatics assume that they have.
Cherie Proctor Unfortunately it’s true.. They don’t get it… They trust their drs know
Leah Ashlyn “This topic is not up for discussion” is a good one.
Belinda Dow I don’t discuss vaccination status with potatoes and then deliver facts to the roast potato you’ll be eating on Christmas lunch passive aggressively
I have no idea what Dow is talking about; so, here is another related potato, available at your favourite First Dog on the Moon website. It’s Ian the Climate Denialist Potato:
Buy your Ian the Climate Denialist Potato, here. Copyright First Dog on the Moon.
This next one is just dishonest, as we expect from anti-vaccination activists. The mocked up image provided by Christie does not “list death as a possible reaction”. And it does not list “RISKS”:
Donovan Christie Vaccine insert lists ‘Death’ as a possible reaction !
Kate Hunt If they’re so safe, would you like to discuss the $3billion+ that have been paid out to vaccine injury victims in the USA, when 75% of claimants don’t get anything, and only an estimated 1-10% of vaccine injuries are ever reported?
Bec Cameron Let’s agree to disagree. Or… Do you really want to ruin a beautiful day?
Tetanus. Ruins days.
Alisha Wood is a registered nurse, as well as a breastfeeding counselor for the Australian Breastfeeding Association, in Brisbane. Wood raises a good point:
Alisha Wood Ask them about their sex life. That sas talk will shut down faster than it takes them to say ‘the science is settled’.
Shingles. Courtesy Dr Daya Sharma. Can make you go blind.
Jasmina Jak Don’t even get into it.. If they push, maybe just say this is not the time nor place. If they ask again, repeat this is not the time nor place.
Whooping cough. Never the right time.
Amanda Malady I’m going on a cruise for Xmas to avoid all this kind of crap!lol can’t think of anything worse then being cornered by family and in laws on Xmas day!!! If I was with them, I would say let’s not discuss….unless you have done hours/ years of research and have facts to back up your statement. Not Pharma funded government brainwash….oh, and my child is healthy as you can see, so what’s the problem?????
Measles. Just a boat-ride away.
Camille Kazovic Ask them about their vaccination status. Most adults aren’t up to date with boosters etc and if they aren’t you can use one word – hypocrites!
Shingles. Adults take note.
Nikki Mitchell It’s 100% my/our choice, i’m 110% satisfied with the choice i’ve/we’ve made & i’m really not interested in a debate. How’s your job/house/trip or whatever other boring topic we cover at family catch ups
Diphtheria. Imported into Brisbane after a trip in 2011.
Bernadette Karajic My baby is not going to be that one in a million that dies.
Natural immunity is superior to vaccinations.
It is when I say I am prochoice, so lets leave it at that.
Emma Wright Just ignore it. Who’d even talk about vaccination. It’s Christmas. None of their beeswax anyway.
Measles. Everybody’s business.
Emma Raihania For things like Christmas I would just straight up say we’re never going to agree so I’m not talking about it I don’t want to argue at a family event
Jessica Constable I said to my Dad last time he ranted about me and my sister not vaccinating “Keep going Dad and I’ll leave”. He stopped after that. That’s probably only useful on close family though
Influenza. Thrives in close families.
Sammi Zajko I just say… “im happy to have this conversation with if, after you have done the same amoynt5of research that i have done on the topic. ” shuts them down straight away. Usually the only “research” they have done is watching Sunrise. Lol
Whooping cough.
Natasha Chapman Id rather my child have a natural disease than one inflicted by me!
Chicken pox. 100% natural disease.
Crystal Dumais I am anti drugs! I don’t believe my child should be having drugs heheheheheehe 🙂
Whooping cough. Drugs eventually don’t work.
Harrie Truscott i recommend going in with a casual spirit. i tend to stick to history – looking at my family and how we handled childhood illness and if they bring up herd immunity i ask when they were last vaccinated and mention the ‘protection’ time frame and they assumption im an idiot backs away into the back of their brain.
Polio. Stuck in history.
Linda Geiger Could you say there are so many reasons it would take too long but I’d be happy to go through it all with you another time. Then have all your stuff printed out ready to go when you do meet up. And maybe mention a few things that really stand out for you. For me it’s hep b for newborns and how the schedule has changed since my day (late 70’s) to name two things.
Hepatitis B.
Somewhere along the way the whole thing lost its festive, comedy zing. Sorry about that.
On Wednesday December 16 2015, Agnes Dombrowoska of Adelaide informed her anti-vaccine colleagues that she planned to attend a chicken pox party on Friday (tomorrow, December 17 2015, at the time of writing):
Agnes Dombrowoska Question: we are going to a pox patry on Friday. What is the best way to get it? Our girl usually doesn’t get virus and chicken pox is viral
Dombrowoska’s colleagues respond:
Courtney Hebberman As chickenpox is very transmissible,close contact could very well result in infection.
Some people can have a few spots to many.
Allison Walker And just because she doesn’t have any spots, doesn’t mean she wont get it, BTW.
Sylvia Ura Yep very true Allison Walker– my girlfriend had routine pre pregnancy blood work and it showed she had antibodies to chicken pox even though she’d never had the symptomatic form of the illness. She is unvaxxed so thats interesting smile emoticon
Grace Rayner I’ve never had spots and my mum took me to pox parties as a kid!
Tammy Bennett Sounds brilliant… my kids and hubby got it from a vaccinated neighbour, but kids get through it sooo much better than adults. My husband suffered terribly… that’s why I truly believe kids should be made to be exposed to this as children and not suppress with vaccines that may or may not produce immunity across 3 shots filled with MSG and guinea pig and human cell tissues… Ewww yuk!
Becky Miles The trolls will love this. Expect the media to find you
Nicole Becker Edwards My friend born in 1969 had no chickenpox as a kid. Lived through all younger siblings having it. Got worried when their own kid got chickenpox (am I gonna get a horrific adult version) … Never got it. Then their next kid got exposed but never developed symptoms. So I guess their family genetics allowed immunity to be developed without any symptoms.
Grace Rayner Hopefully same for my sister and I! Been around it heaps. Never got symptoms.
Sarah Amel D’Amico I was near my brothers as kids when they had chicken pox i never got them but now i have immunity so she may not get them but may get the virus or immunity from bein there if that makes sense
Emma Louise from Melbourne states she also would like to deliberately infect her children:
Emma Louise I have a 4 year old and 5 month old… That’s too young right? We are in Melbourne PM me if…. Hi trolls Xx
Agnes Dombrowska 4 – 5 y.o. that used to be most common age of getting it. My oldest was 4 at the time when she had it but youngest is 5 now and i dont want to have to deal with it at school times partly because if other families child is immunized with a shot it’s not for life and therefore they can get it and it can effect you for life if a teenage boy gets it.
Allison Walker Thats mumps. Not CP.
There is so much misinformation out there!
Jasmin Vesnaver Are you ready for the media to knock on your door? Oh boy…the gates are open and the trolls are having a field day!
Leisha Allen mocks the deaths of children who have died from chicken pox and its complications:
Leisha Allen I can’t believe that pox parties are becoming taboo. Those who’ve attended one could probably still remember it as there would have been so many kids it would have beat a birthday party. And then they all got time off school together so there were many days playing at their houses or tucked up on the couch watching disney with some popcorn. Can’t say i remember the itching but i do remember mum painting me with lotion with was lovely. I don’t even remember how i died from it
Melissa Huxtable In life….you can drink yourself stupid with alcohol and friends….take an array of drugs….illegal but as the newspapers report…can buy from china…giving folk inside knowledge on how to….can take a plethora of pharmaceuticals…have a range of sexual activities…be poisened by food….happens regularly…watch the most hideous violence and inappropriate behaviours that have negative affects on folk…studied and proven…which the governments allow for such materials to circulate….my family and another family were nearly taken out by a confirmed medical patient…who they still let drive…the authorities did not even bother to tell us any rulings on the case…yet a childhood infection is magnified to surreal proportions…have many folk missed something???
I personally like my family at home when any are sick and prefer not a heap of visitors…however the point is that it is glaringly obvious the agenda that is being pushed regarding childhood vacc.
Deanna Major I’m pretty sure I have seen this already screen shot
[VFA member’s father who is not anti-vaccine] … This brief fact sheet may be of use. It seems that the risk of developing a significant complication from catching the wild virus is much much greater than the risks from being vaccinated. Chickenpox – immunisation Immunisation against chickenpox can protect your child from getting chickenpox and from the possible serious…
BETTERHEALTH.VIC.GOV.AU
Melissa Huxtable Unfortunately just giving a shot…vacc…for chickenpox is not limited to the above article…there are many other issues to he considered…ethical… human rights….immune condition of a child…..and a better understanding of health…
Abbie Fetter I have a friend in USA, that was mailed a lollypop and pair of pajamas used by an infected child. Both her girls got the vius and recovered, as expected. They made sure their diet was as clean as possible and prepared to be home that week.
I’ll add to this thread as comments come in.
As with our call for the Queensland health complaints act to be bolstered so as to more easily hold health misinformants to account – along with a call to investigate the possible criminal prosecution of those who abuse children by deliberately infecting them with preventable diseases – I would also like the South Australian and Victorian governments to do the same.
These children need stronger health complaints legislation to protect them and their friends from anti-vaccination zealots.
Hollie Singleton is the anti-vaccination activist Brisbane mother who has become infamous in the last few days for being the person who wants to infect children with chicken pox, by holding chicken pox parties. Singleton has been roundly condemned by every reputable health department, medical association, health professional and politician who has been sought for comment.
“Each to their own”, David Koch stated at the end of the outrageously inept interview.
Each. To. Their. Own.
This is Hollie Singleton’s view on death eliminating “the weak.” Each to their own.
This is Hollie Singleton, commenting in the Vaccine Free Australia Facebook group, on December 12 2014. Read through this a few times to see exactly what she is saying:
Truth as I see it is too harsh for most to accept: illness keeps population in control and is meant to eliminate the weak and build a stronger species. I’m not liked for that belief, but it is really how I believe we should be understanding our kind.
…illness keeps population in control and is meant to eliminate the weak and build a stronger species.
Only two paragraphs up Singleton lamented the lack of community spirit:
The lack of true community is also the problem
But it’s okay for “the weak” to die. There’s a love heart at the end which makes everything better.
This is not the first time we’ve heard such callousness from an anti-vaccinationist, about chicken pox and death. Remember the AVN representative who rang bereaved dad Chris Kokegei, in 2010. From my earlier blog post:
After the Sunrise interview Chris Kokegei received a phone call from his Sunrise contact. They had received a phone call from a woman who claimed that she was also the parent of an injured child, and that she would very much like to talk to Chris. Chris gave the okay for Sunrise to pass on his mobile phone number to the mystery caller, not expecting anything untoward.
The woman rang. She had an American accent and she introduced herself (Chris cannot precisely recall the name given), saying that she was from the Australian Vaccination Network. He had no idea who she was, or what the AVN was about. The woman immediately conveyed her concerns to Chris that he was advocating something which was dangerous and ineffective (the Varicella vaccine), and questioned him as to whether he should be doing this. His advocacy was going to harm more children, he was told. When Chris told her she does not have the evidence to back up her claims, the woman told him to go to the AVN website to find all of the information. The woman also told Chris that his son must have been weak, to have succumbed to such a harmless disease. These things are a matter of survival of the fittest, he was told.
It is good to see that Singleton is being held to account by another mother, whose son is best friends with Singleton’s son. It appears that Singleton’s son infected Shannon’s son. Shannon also has a brother who is immunocompromised due to chemotherapy: one of the very contraindications Singleton notes in her soft-touch Sunrise interview. Singleton’s hypocrisy would melt steel beams.
Shannon noted, furiously:
The media being “biased” is because the entire medical community feels your chicken pox party is misguided.. exposing your kids and others to unnecessary risks (1% will have serious complications), including shingles, death etc. You over-inflate the risks related to vaccinations, and under-estimate the risks of the disease, as do all anti-vaxxers.. Well, looks like my son is in the 15% of vaccinated kids who can still catch chicken pox… Thanks for nothing. I doubt if we lived in a 100% vaccinated world that he would have caught them off your son. I’m just grateful he’s not immuno-compromised, and I guess we’ll just quarrantine ourselves to stop killing anyone who is…
Shannon further outlined her perfect reasons for feeling aggrieved:
My boy has only had pox in the last few days.. it’s within the incubation period of last seeing his best friend. The only kid we know with chicken pox.
…perhaps get your kids vaccinated to reduce the risk in the first place? That, and because Hollie is on national TV boasting about spreading it?? And because my kid’s bestie being the posterchild for not vaccinating, puts my kid’s risk of exposure higher than if his bestie was just another vaccinated kid at school?? And because people like my brother recovering from chemo are at greater risk from decisions like this?? Enough reasons to be a little ticked off??
I blame her for thinking she knows better than her childrens’ doctors and not vaccinating… and then using that as a position to grandstand on, to the detriment of my kids, her kids, my brother, and our community.. I would be lying if it hasn’t made me re-evaluate the relationships between our families. Is chicken pox enough to break up a 6 year old friendship? How about measles? Meningitis?? Would it then be too late??
Kudos, Shannon. Kudos.
I hope Singleton’s hubris and nonchalance about the welfare of other children will lead Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Health Minister Cameron Dick to consider bolstering Queensland’s health complaints act, to bring it up to speed with the NSW Health Care Complaints Act, which was amended due to the anti-social public health threat posed by Meryl Dorey and her anti-vaccination cabal, the AVN.
It may also be time for serious consideration to be given to criminal prosecutions for people who willingly practice child abuse by deliberately infecting children with potentially life-threatening diseases.
Why should we even need to consider this?
Why?
Because there are many more people who are willing to abuse children by deliberately infecting them.
From Vaccine Free Australia, on December 12 and 13 2015; Jean macpherson planned on infecting her grandchildren:
I’ll leave the last word of hypocrisy to Singleton, herself. Singleton is upset with the media, claiming she has been stalked. This is the same person – whose Facebook profile is set to public – who has given interviews to several media outlets, including several television networks, after bragging in the Vaccine Free Australia group (December 7, below), about the benefit to her business from increased media exposure. Now she threatens them with “harassment suits”, whatever they are. From December 14 2015, at approximately 1500 hours:
From December 7 2015; Singleton bragged to her friends about the media exposure she will receive so as to promote her business. She even included a winky face:
Yay! I was interviewed today for the Sunday Mail (in Brissy) about Chicken pox, and I’m very happy to keep climbing the media ladder!
And Singleton was still thumping her arrogant chest regarding live media interviews, on December 14 2015, on her profile, at 2132 hours:
Oh god I’m famous now! If I get a live interview, it’s on!
So, Singleton complained about “media stalking” and “harassment”, on Monday afternoon. Then, only six hours later, she bragged about wanting a live interview. And three days previously she bragged about “climbing the media ladder!”
reasonablehank 