Pauline Hanson is under fire again, as health experts slam her “dangerous”, “ignorant” and “crazy” comments about vaccination.
Hanson used an appearance on ABC’s Insiders on the weekend to criticise the Government’s no-jab, no-pay welfare policy, which requires parents to vaccinate their children before they can collect family payments and childcare benefits.
“What I don’t like about it is the blackmailing that’s happening with the government,” Hanson said.
“Don’t do that to people. That’s a dictatorship.”
Ironically, in the same interview in which she compared the Government’s vaccination policy to a “dictatorship”, Hanson lavished praise among Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
“I respect the man,” she said.
“He is very patriotic towards his country, the people love him, he is doing so well for the country. So many Australians here want that leadership here in Australia.”
As you’d expect, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) has come out strongly against Hanson’s comments regarding vaccination, issuing a statement via Facebook.
“The AMA and doctors everywhere are happy to report that vaccines save lives, control and eradicate disease,” the organisation wrote.
“Always trust a doctor before a politician. Parents who wish to discuss health issues regarding their children, including routine immunisation, are very welcome to ask their GP. Alternatively, The Science of Immunisation: Questions and Answers booklet is held in very high regard by doctors.”
AMA President Dr Michael Gannon tweeted that “vaccination rates [are] far too important to be the stuff of the new grievance politics”, and urged parents to “listen to the science”.
#vaccination rates far too important to be the stuff of the new grievance politics. Please listen to the #science #wapol #auspol #prevention pic.twitter.com/1vEBx0Htki
— AMA President (@amapresident) March 6, 2017
Former AMA President Brian Owler didn’t hold back, either, tweeting that Hanson’s advice was uninformed, dangerous and insulting.
Uninformed dangerous & insulting advice re vaccination from @PaulineHansonOz. Disgraceful that Aus poli can endanger children #insiders
— Brian Owler (@BrianOwler) March 4, 2017
Appearing on ABC Radio on Monday, Grattan Institute Health Director Stephen Duckett expressed his “disgust” at Hanson’s comments.
“This is a situation where you’ve got a popular politician with a significant following who’s actually giving crazy, crazy medical advice,” he said.
“She has to apologise and retract that statement. Vaccines are safe. I cannot stress how angry it makes one feel that she is putting lives at risk.
“If parents choose not to vaccinate their children, they are putting their children’s health at risk, and every other person’s children at risk, too. It is a vital health objective that everybody is vaccinated.”
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the ‘no-jab, no-pay’ policy had led to an extra 200,000 vaccinations in the past year.
“The health of our children, the health of the nation, depends on vaccination and that has to be as close to 11 per cent as possible. It is a vital health objective to ensure that everybody is vaccinated.”
Opposition leader Bill Shorten has also slammed Hanson, tweeting: “Vaccines save lives. One Nation’s campaign of misinformation is plain dangerous.”
Vaccines save lives. One Nation's campaign of misinformation is plain dangerous.
— Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) March 5, 2017
Hanson has since defended her comments, and clarified that she isn’t rejecting vaccination outright.
“I’m not saying to people don’t get your children vaccinated,” she told 6PR Radio.
“I’m not a medical professional. I had my children vaccinated, I never told my children not to get their children vaccinated.
“If that’s what the doctor tells them — that they need to have the vaccination done — that’s up to the person. Go and talk to your doctor.”
Ask any doctor administering any type of vaccination to sign an agreemnt holding them fully liable should the receiving person suffer undue health effects either in the short term or long arriving from the administration of the vaccine and I doubt you will have any uptake.
The public should have freedom of choice in this regard. There is more and more evidence that vaccinations being administered today are not providing all that is claimed of them. Please refer to Dr. Wakefield and others for an informed viewpoint.
Some parents may consider that AMA members are the font of all information and be guided by their recommendations. Others who look from a broader perspective may consider other information and come to a different position. This is their right. Our freedom is being slowly erroded by organisations who have a their own agenda. Thankfully, we have some members of Parliament who have the fortitude to stand up and voice their, and their electorates opinion. The constant slamming and over the top use of words like Insulting, dangerous and disgraceful from people like Brian Owler are in themselves offensive. All this from the head of an organisation who still rejects that Lymes disease exists in Australia and that fluoride should be added to our drinking water for mass consumption. History unfortunately will be the judge.
The government is forcing the poor to get vaccinated. It should be left for parents to decide if they want their children vaccinated and risk the side affects. The biggest risk to childrens health is a high sugar diet at home and passive smoking. You dont get politicians jumping up and down about these more serious threats to our kids health. One quarter of all children in Australia are overweight!
We have a 46 year old son who was profoundly brain damaged at 9 months as a result from the immunisation shots – were told “unfortunate but it rarely happens”
How comforting! ….as long as it doesn’t happen to you… And they want to penalise a parent who opts out because of the risk they may be subjecting their child to… really –
We were totally ignorant of the extent of his ABI until the resident Professor in his glory stated ” Well, Mum, I think it’s time now to take him to the (Then) Spastic Centre ”
No preamble, warning or anything … Great empathy…not!
I am staggered at the ignorance of so called “professionals” – sadly so many families take their advice blindly without even questioning – or looking at their options…So very sad…
Pauline Hanson is acting no more responsibly than the rest of our politicians. It is all about winning seats. This is a person who admres Vladimir Putin, agrees with Trump the Dump and now has become a medic guru – god save us from all politicians!!!
The USA has a Vaccine Damage Compensation Court and fund which has paid out millions to families for vaccine damage.
Australia does not have such a scheme.
Vaccines are not safe. They cause untold damage. Our politicians and medical authorities are still headlining that vaccines are safe. They are either lying or terribly misinformed. If they told the truth, most parents would not vaccinate.
I never thought I would say it but have to agree with Pauline on this one and applaud her for being bold enough to say so. We also have a severely vaccine damaged child so believe we have a right as an individual as to what we put or don’t put in our bodies. VACCINES ARE DEFINITELY NOT ALWAYS SAFE – be educated people and do not be ruled by fear!!
Same here about Pauline Hanson and her brave comments.In 1975, yes that long ago, Japan raised it’s minimum age to 2years for vaccinations and it now enjoys one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the western world.Glutathione levels should be checked before any vaccinations.I understand this is more expense but children’s lives we are talking about here.
I would like to see QandA with a panel of experts on the dangers of vaccinations.I was NOT anti-vax as my children are all vaccinated.I am now, as it has become a Billion Dollar industry with advertising and marketing expense far above what is spent on research and development.Doctors are afraid to buck the system as Andrew Wakefield’s persecution has demonstrated.Studies before his, showed MMR was dangerous.Why is the debate so hard?