In the last few months, the anti-vax movement in Australia has attracted significant attention.
First, Shanelle Cartwright, the wife of NRL football star Bryce Cartwright, went public via social media to her more than 7000 followers about her decision to not vaccinate her children.
Then it was announced that Taylor Winterstein, the wife of NRL player Frank Winterstein, would be hosting a $200 workshop warning people about the ‘risks’ that come with vaccinations.
Days later, controversial chef Pete Evans endorsed an anti-vaxxer on his Facebook page.
To be clear – the World Health Organisation (WHO) states that “immunisation is a proven tool for controlling and eliminating life-threatening infectious diseases,” and estimate that each year, it averts “between 2 and 3 million deaths”.
Late last year, the WHO confirmed that the anti-vax movement has prompted a 30 per cent jump in measles cases worldwide, and has since listed “vaccine hesitancy” as one of the 10 global health threats of 2019.
Even Facebook is cracking down, recently announcing that we’ll see less and less anti-vax content in our feeds because they’re weeding it out and removing it from society’s peripheral.
The Quicky explores the latest anti-vaxxers to pollute the system. Post continues after podcast.
But time and time again, vaccinations have been proven to be safe, and the biggest myths around them have been debunked.
Top Comments
Really Tanya???? I’m not quite old enough to remember the polio and other epidemics of the past but I am old enough to remember a number of kids I went to primary school with (mid 60s UK) having an older relative in a wheelchair or walking with calipers and one confined to an iron lung. Here’s a suggestion…if you are so convinced immunizing your kids is so bad hop on a plane and go someplace like northern Pakistan where polio remains endemic and you can see for yourself. Bet you wouldn’t be game to take your kids. Ignorance and selfishness masquerading as freedom of choice.
VACCINATIONS ? truths about it.
If you folks don't bother getting your children vaccinated then her is some terrible things that can and will happen to them.
DISEASES
More diseases will hit them not just in their tender years but in their own lifetime and measles is a biggie here and being vaccinated reduces these risks by more than 80%.
CHICKEN POX MEASLES,WHOOPING COUGH,SPINAL MENINGITIS AND MANY OTHERS WILL ALSO DECIMATE YOUR KIDS UNLESS THEY GET VACCINATED.
I lost my eyesight by 50% because some kid came to my school with the measles and I can't see anything distance wise and my current vision is 20-300without glasses today.
Please parents heed my warning about the importance of getting vaccinated soon.