Oh, dear. Not Michael Leunig, too.
Is Michael Leunig an anti-vaxxer? Yep.
Or at least, that’s what his most recent cartoon suggests.
The cartoon — which was published in the Age in Melbourne this morning, has already attracted criticism on Twitter for its apparent anti-vaccination stance.
The poem includes the line: “A mother’s love may be as great as any new vaccine that man has ever seen.”
Some social media commentators suggested, hopefully, that it may have been satirical.
But a spokesperson for the cartoonist told Mamamia in an emailed statement:
Michael Leunig is in support of the right of individuals to conscientiously refuse vaccination for their children. This support does not necessarily indicate his position on vaccination per se, it is primarily a human rights issue that he addresses in his cartoons. He also illuminates questions regarding maternal instinct and concern, and appeals for tolerance to be extended to the possibility that a mother’s personal wisdom and insight concerning her child’s health has been traditionally near-sacred and may be of enormous ongoing value.
He contends that such conscientious maternal concern should not be dismissed too lightly or overruled so belligerently. Most of humanity owes much to the natural care of a mother at the beginning, with all the intuition, attunement and skill involved in that individual mothering process. Michael feels the punitive approach by the government to people of conscientious belief regarding this matter is coercive and unjust, and sets an appalling example to society about how those opposed might be universally regarded and treated.
Thoughts?
Related content: Tara was an anti-vaxxer — until her seven children came down with whooping cough.
Top Comments
It appears that more parents and doctors from wealthier suburbs, oppose the increasing number of vaccines being injected into babies. Wonder why?
If a lead medical researcher, working for Merck, (the vaccine manufacturer of Gardasil), says the Gardasil vaccine is unnecessary, why give it to your child in grade 7?
If the Australian Government's website says the people most at risk of Hepatitis B are (1) Injecting drug users (2) homosexual men (3) Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders (4) people with multiple sexual partners (this would include prostitutes) ... why would you give it to your baby at birth, unless you and your baby were in the aforementioned high risk group?
If mumps vaccine was considered unnecessary up until 1998 as it is such a mild childhood disease, why would you inject your baby with it today?
Have you asked your doctor what is in vaccines and are they all necessary? Do they tell you there is aluminum, mercury and formaldehyde adjuvants in most vaccines, as well as aborted fetuses, blood and crushed brains and kidneys from monkeys and cows, calves and live viruses? Do you know that if your child gets a flu vaccine, it can only protect your child from one strain at a time? And what do the pharmaceuticals want you to have? Ah, yes, be safe with more vaccines.
You see, patents are running out for pharmaceuticals, and therefore, by adding just one vaccine to childhood schedules, can mean billions of dollars profits for the company. So, as in the USA when Merck has to pay out 3 billion to vaccine damaged children, hey, that's just the cost of doing business.
At least in America they have vaccine courts for vaccine damaged children, but in Australia we do not even have an adverse vaccine register. No, the science is not settled. Let's get safe vaccines that have had long term independent studies done, and not just rushed to market.
Vaccines, like antibiotics are losing their efficacy. Do vaccines give life long immunity? No doctor will tell you they do. That is why now your child has to have ever increasing vaccines and then "booster" shots.
And that is the reason, educated and researched parents and Doctors, are staring to speak out against the alarming increase of vaccinations. I believe that is Leunig's point, and god, I never thought I'd say this, but I agree with him.
Let's face it, vaccines are drugs and I think it's really creepy that a Government would coerce you to inject your child more and more and more. Don't you?
You trust Big Government and Big Pharma? Great. What could possibly go wrong?
More than tomb raider. #dontkillkidslara
Yes we all have a choice. But if you make the "wrong" one and you'll face ridicule and exclusion at every turn thanks to fear mongering on pro-vaxxers part. Just for a moment put your emotions aside at try to see from the other side. Imagine you're an "anti-vaxxer" for what ever reason (your child suffered a severe vac injury). Now look through this site (purely for convenience), are any articles representing your side of the fence? Michael Leunig, look at the discussion one little cartoon has created
Unfortunately only the rich have a choice; the rest, for whom Child Benefit payments may mean whether they can pay bills or not cannot have the luxury of thinking, they just have to do what they're told. That's what governments like the present one want, they want people not having much education; not able to think and being totally dependent on politicians making decisions for them.