The Australian government’s recently proposed childcare package has mandated the ‘full’ schedule of childhood vaccines (up to the age of 19) in order for families to receive government welfare benefits of $15,000. This package has removed the right of parents to refuse any of the 12 vaccines recommended for infants if they wish to receive… [Read more]
The West Australian’s publicity for the Freedom of Choice Event Sunday 21 June 2015
Cathy O’Leary, the health news reporter for the West Australian newspaper, has provided publicity for the protest rallies being held around Australia on Sunday 21 June 2015 (p3 West Australian 17 June 2015). However, the information she has provided about the Perth event is incorrect and it has not been provided by a spokesperson for… [Read more]
Biased Reporting on the ABC Breakfast Program
The ABC Breakfast Program On 29 May 2015 ABC journalists, Virginia Trioli and Michael Rowland, interviewed the popular cartoonist Michael Leunig about his cartoons advocating freedom of speech and informed consent in vaccination. You dismissed the right of individuals to choose how many vaccines they use by claiming that the ‘science is proven’ and that anti-vaccination arguments… [Read more]
ABC’s Q and A Misinformation on Vaccination
Monday night’s Q and A program (13 April 2015) began with a 10 minute discussion on vaccination with all 4 members of the panel denouncing people who choose not to vaccinate, yet none of the panelist’s were qualified in health or medicine or produced any evidence to support their faith in this procedure. The public was… [Read more]
Choice in Vaccination
In the Weekend West Australian (15 November 2014) the medical editor, Cathy O’Leary, wrote an article titled ‘No-Jab Fears: Alarming rise in parents refusing to vaccinate children‘. In this article it is stated that doctors cannot understand why parents are shunning vaccines. This is an interesting statement when there are numerous professionals and public members… [Read more]
A Discussion of Peer- Reviewed Journals on ABC’s Q and A (10 November 2014)
During this episode of Q and A, which involved a discussion of the impact of computer technology on the wiring of the brain, a comment was made about the distinction between ‘peer-reviewed scientific information’ and ‘personal experience’. It was implied in this discussion that all peer-reviewed information is valid and of greater value to our… [Read more]
Approvals for the Government’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
The Australian Health Minister, Mr. Dutton, has approved 2 new expensive drugs for the PBS (26 October 2014). These 2 new drugs are described by journalist, Sean Parnell (the Australian 27 October 2014) as being for ‘rare medical conditions’ and will cost the government $237.5 million over 4 years. One drug, Ivacaftor, is stated to… [Read more]
Vaccination Misinformation in The Australian Newspaper by Rick Morton
Rick Morton’s article “University paid for anti-vaccine student to attend conference” (28th January 2014) presents misinformation about my presentation on the HPV vaccine at the Cancer Science and Therapy Conference in San Francisco (October 2013). Morton has made allegations about the conference that have not been supported with evidence from the Dean of Research at… [Read more]
