UPDATE:
Anti-vaccination campaigner Sherri Tenpenny, due to present seminars in Australia later this week, has had another Melbourne venue cancel her presentation after widespread community backlash.
Melbourne’s Bay View Eden hotel called off Dr Tenpenny’s seminar after a group of doctors threatened to cancel their workshop at the venue if the anti-vaxer was allowed to present there too.
Mamamia previously reported:
Pressure is mounting against a planned speaking tour by American anti-vaccination campaigner Sherri Tenpenny, with at least one venue now cancelling a seminar.
Dr Tenpenny, an osteopath who believes vaccines cause autism, asthma, ADHD and auto-immune disorders, is planning a series of lectures against vaccination in March aimed at parents of babies.
But she has been criticised by the Stop The Australian Anti-Vaccination Network for “endangering people’s health” and “targeting vulnerable parents”.
This woman is a danger to childre. And she’s is coming to Australia.
Kareela Golf Club in Sydney has cancelled a seminar, while a group of doctors cancelled their own workshop at a Melbourne venue, angry the place had also booked Dr Tenpenny next month.
An organiser of the tour, Stephanie Messenger, said those opposing the series of talks were trying to hide things from the public.
“They say they want parents to make an informed choice, but you can’t do that if you don’t have all the information. So they are trying to suppress the information,” she said.
Sherri Tenpenny.
A pro-vaccination group has asked Immigration Minister Peter Dutton to deny the anti-vaccination campaigner a visa to speak in Australia.
Thousands of Australians have now signed a petition lobbying Canberra to deny the visa.
Ms Messenger said cancelling the visa would set a worrying precedent.
Measles outbreak following graduation ceremony. Unvaccinated kids in attendance.
“It would set the precedent that they can just cancel visas for anyone who hasn’t done anything wrong,” she said.
“All of Dr Tenpenny’s information is referenced by medical and scientific papers … so I don’t know what they’re trying to stop the people from seeing.”
Mr Dutton is yet to respond.
“The Minister is taking advice on this matter and will make further comment when appropriate,” a spokesman said.
Dr Tenpenny’s supporters have posted messages on Facebook, urging her to “stay strong” and that “many kids will thank her one day”.
“It’s very unfortunate that they caved into this sort of pressure, but it’s understandable … it’s unfortunate because when they do this sort of thing they allow people who want to suppress free speech to get their way.
Stop The Australian Anti-Vaccination Network member Dave Hawkes said he helped start the petition calling on Mr Dutton to deny Dr Tenpenny a visa.
“I guess the thing is you’re looking at the difference between people whose views you disagree with and people who are actually endangering people’s health,” Dr Hawkes said.
A version of this story was originally published on ABC and has been republished with full permission.
Top Comments
What is wrong with hearing the other side and then making an educated decision? Why are doctors scared of the debate? if they are right then they will succeed. Facts are stronger than emotions and money.
"Facts are stronger than emotions and money."
If that were true, there would be no religion left in the world - or just one religion, if it turned out, miraculously, one of them had facts on their side.
As for hearing the other side... what "other side" are you referring to and how is someone not trained in bio-chemistry, immunology, general medicine or even advance high-school science, supposed to determine which sciency-sounding argument is right?
Not to be insulting, but we simply don't have to tools or the time (measured in years, not hours) to separate the simple facts from the very-convincing lies.
Australia, you just became an Islamic Republic. Good luck with that. Democracy means listening to everyone. You don't need to agree with others but you must never prohibit free thought, freedom of expression, and the freedom to gather. This is NOT a health issue as some would have us believe, it is a power play by the pharmacs, using intellectuals to promote their profits. I'm all for health and safety ... But don't throw freedom out with our common sense.
Of course it's about health - they want to spread misinformation about childhood diseases and prevention. How is that not about health?
The distraction here is by those who are trying to frame this as a free speech issue, as if the potentially-tragic impact of the misinformation is irrelevant.