Victoria’s health minister Jill Hennessy has spoken out against the ‘quackery’ of so-called anti-vaxxers after revelations that some campaigners have removed and destroyed materials that promote the need for vaccination.
‘Vaccine Free Australia’ Facebook group members have boasted of the activities online, one member who said they took health information from a childcare centre also claiming she is a registered Melbourne nurse.
The same nurse is reportedly under review after bragging about providing false employment details to her hospital, keeping her own lack of vaccination under wraps.
‘I’m horrified that these people spreading lies and mistruths about vaccination are now deliberately removing important immunisation information from our hospitals,' Ms Hennessy said.
'Refusing to vaccinate your child not only endangers their health, but the health of every other child in our community.’
Comments in the Facebook thread about the activities included that “one less bulls**t sign is a small win,” and “needless to say I took every single copy home for recycling.”
“Pretending to look at other brochures I just grabbed them ... there were 40-50 of them ... I also removed the reorder application lol. And I’m the president of the Committee lol,” another said.
Victorian vaccination figures show a slight increase in coverage, but Hennessy noted measles cases had a recent "disturbing rise."
The state’s ‘No Jab, No Play' legislation comes into effect on New Year’s Day 2016.