Meryl Dorey
The Queensland Health Minister has smashed the motives of the Australian Vaccination Network (AVN) in a strongly worded statement just released. The statement was issued after it emerged Meryl Dorey, the AVN’s representative and founder was given a platform to espouse her anti-vaccination views at the festival, despite having been officially discredited by the Health Care Complaints Commission.
The debate fired up on Mamamia right here. The folk festival is sponsored by numerous outside companies and organisations such as the Moreton Bay Regional Council and the Queensland Government but the program remains a choice of festival organisers like director Bill Hauritz who made no attempts to defend the decision to give her a platform.
Here it is in full:
Parents should vaccinate themselves and their children, Minister for Health Geoff Wilson said today.
Mr Wilson said fringe groups like the misleadingly named ‘Australian Vaccination Network’ are wrong to discourage people from getting vaccinated.
“I love Woodford Folk Festival. I’ve been numerous times. There’s great music, great food and great folk entertainment. Fortunately, there’s enough wonderful things to do at Woodford that patrons have plenty of alternatives rather than sitting through the nonsense Meryl Dorey spouts about vaccination dangers”, Mr Wilson said.
“For the small number of people who might be entertained by what Ms Dorey has to say, Woodford Folk Festival has a place for everyone. Just don’t take her nonsense too seriously.”
“The fact is vaccinations have saved millions of lives. Their invention was a miracle of scientific achievement.”
Queensland’s Chief Health Officer said Queensland Health remained absolutely committed to delivering its immunisation program to as many Queenslanders as possible.
Queensland Health Minister Geoff Wilson slams the Australian Vaccination Network
“In the past year hundreds of thousands of Queenslanders have been protected against deadly diseases such as whooping cough, cervical cancer, diphtheria and measles, as well as influenza.” she said.
“The benefits of vaccination are obvious. Between 1930 and 1988, around 40,000 Australians developed paralytic Polio. Now Australia is Polio free.”
“Vaccination prevents potentially fatal conditions like measles, diphtheria and whooping cough.”
“This program saves lives, and we will continue to urge Queenslanders to vaccinate their children against life-threatening illnesses,” Dr Young said.
“Queensland’s vaccination program is extremely safe and is the most effective way to prevent illness and death from vaccine preventable diseases,” she said.
So, if Woodford Folk Festival insists on having her speak, this seems like pretty good advice.
Comments
58 Comments so far
Australia has so much to learn about the vaccine issue!
Get your heads out of the sand and read this:
http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2012/02/medical-study-confirms-gardasil-dangers-exposed-by-judicial-watch/
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I think the health minister ought to educate himself on just how little is known about the effectiveness of vaccines.
http://www.vaccineplace.com/support/brochure/adacelpatientbrochure.pdf
Page 5 reads : “It is unknown whether immunizing adolescents and
adults against pertussis will reduce the risk of transmission
to infants.8″
Straight from the horse’s mouth!! It is written in plain english in a pro-vaccine brochure!!
Wake up sheeple. You are being brainwashed.
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Anyone who would like to see only validated and accurate information disseminated about vaccination, please check out this petition at change.org:
http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-misinformation-about-vaccination
If you agree, sign the petition and circulate to others.
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Oh please. Squash the debate? If it weren’t for the egregious disinformation spread by AVN and its ilk there would be no debate. The sum total of informed dissent from the view that vaccination is beneficial is zero.
Millions of lives are saved every year by vaccination. We in the affluent developed world are so used to not having polio, pertussis, hib and the like that we have become blasé and are easy prey for fearmongering conspiracists. All we have to do is continue to believe them and we will be right back in the era when people routinely died of vaccine-preventable disease and vaccines were appreciated for the boon they are.
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What I don’t understand is why it is so important to squash the debate on vaccination. There are many doctors out there who are muzzled and have views which should be heard without ruining their careers. Personally I believe for some children there are very valid reasons for not vaccinating for everything. The number of vaccinations now given is alarming. Because I have a different view doesn’t mean I am wrong, stupid, or irresponsible, but it may mean I do not trust the pharmaceutical lobby and I have travelled to countries which have a different policy and spoken with medical professionals I trust. Gill Shaddick.
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This is not a debate. This is fact versus lies
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“Because I have a different view doesn’t mean I am wrong, stupid, or irresponsible.”
The issue isn’t that your view is different. This issues is when you say, “The number of vaccinations now given is alarming,” you actually presume to know better than at least 99.9% of medical doctors and scientists. Sorry but I’ll take their educated, evidence based opinion over your assumptions.
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Gill – the real issue is not about debate or freedom of speech – it is about how Meryl Dorey and the AVN present themselves and how clear it is to the listeners or readers what their qualifications or agenda are.
If MD was billed as the president of a stridently anti-vaccination group tha is opposed to any sort of vaccination, and does not believe that any vaccines work for any diseases, and that she has no scientific training, then perhaps the discussion could be seen openly for what it is.
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Ah actually, when it comes to preventing diseases that kill people, yeah being against vaccinations is wrong, stupid and irresponsible. End of story…..
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__”There are many doctors out there who are muzzled and have views which should be heard without ruining their careers.”
And Meryl Dorey is not one of them. She holds no relevant qualification.
__”Personally I believe for some children there are very valid reasons for not vaccinating for everything.”
And your “belief” is shared by the entire medical fraternity who are completely aware that some kids have these strange things called “allergies” and that you have to be careful with them.
__”The number of vaccinations now given is alarming.”
I find the number of brands of soap alarming. Why do we need so many? It’s just soap. It’s confusing. And paint colours. Have you seen the chart-walls at your nearest Bunnings. Holy crap! THAT is alarming.
But vaccinations? I mean, there’s a sod of a lot of greeblies out there that would happily take our kids and make them feel a lot crappy, or maybe permanently damage them – or kill them. It seems to me that whilst the number of things we have that will protect us from really bad greeblies is less than the number of greeblies, we’re actually somewhat under-serviced.
__”Because I have a different view doesn’t mean I am wrong, stupid, or irresponsible,…”
Well, it could mean you’re wrong. If, for example, you think the world is square and flat, you’d be wrong. If you think the moon is two metres from Earth, you”d be wrong. If you think vaccines have a poor risk-versus-benefit outcome, you could be wrong (but I’m not a doctor or scientist). It might not make you stupid unless you happily collect your data from idiots who write blogs or books and you then decide they’re more reliable than millions up millions – generations, in fact – of doctors and scientists.
And if you sit your kid on the front seat of your little car, with no seat belt, then drive at speeds 50% greater than the specified limits – and you do this because you’re damned sure all the rules are just a part of some bizarre conspiracy and that you know better than the experts because they don’t make you wear seat belts or impose speed limits in Lower Slobovia – well, you just might be irresponsible too.
But this discussion is about Meryl Dorey. The rest is a sideshow.
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“If you think the moon is two metres from Earth, you”d be wrong.”
Reminded me of this woman!
(Who kind of reminds me of Meryl Dorey!)
It was all actually a hoax… apt!
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/elephant-moon-quiz-question.shtml
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I do hope more sponsors withdraw their support. At an alternative folk festival money talks?! I’m concerned that if government ministers come out too strongly against dorey and her cronies, that just cements their appeal to misguided/easily swayed types who trust google and cranks and not scientists and our Governments. And what us with the conceit of the non informed who presume to know more than REAL experts, not self appointed snake oil salesman like dorey.
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Sorry iPhone predictive text sloppiness! Btw predictive text reads dorey as ‘sorry’. She should be! How much $$$ is she raking in for this nonsense?
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She has claimed she’s not being paid for this talk (unconfirmed), but her ‘organisation’ turns over an easy six figures per year.
The organisation is basically Meryl. She did have two part-timers helping, but pulled a sob story about having to let them go, then proceeded to make even more appeals for funds – even though the OLGR have banned her from making public appeals.
She’s also appealed for funds to assist with a court challenge against the HCCC, but in almost the same breath let slip that her legal team are acting pro-bono.
Take from that what you will.
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Okay, so he described it as nonsense, twice, which is a good start. And deep, deep down I kind of accept that, as a mere politician, his hands are a bit tied by a certain amount of diplomacy and protocol and stuff and that, sometimes, pollies just have to tap the ball back and see if it stays in the other court, rather than take the ball and actually make hard decisions.
But here’s where he’s missed the mark. WE (the people making all the noise) don’t take Dorey seriously. If we believed her, we wouldn’t be complaining would we?
It’s about the people who “might” take her seriously. And while this is just one audience at one event, it is still a part of a bigger picture and she does have influence and seeks to expand it at every opportunity. And that’s the real problem – this event is another opportunity and her talks have been billed as “necessary” for new parents.
I live in WA not far enough from one of the lowest vax-rate regions in the country. I’d like her influence seriously curtailed before she makes her way down here and makes things worse for my grand kids.
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As a person who had a serve reaction and on going allergy to the whooping cough vaccine I rely on herd immunity- everyone else being vaccinated to keep me safe. So when my work had a whooping cough outbreak when I was 8 &1/2 months pregnant I was petrified. I had no immunity and if I caught it I would have to be kept away from my new baby. Luckily the worst case senerio never happened. I never had any doubt about vaccinating my girl, it is not just her I did it for. It’s about protecting everyone who is vunerable. Yes precautions have to be taken but talking to your doctor can make it happen safely not listening to an unqualified person at a fair.
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hi just registered ,, tina
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As a teacher, I had to supervise some year 7 girls who were not getting the cervical cancer vaccine, Gardisil. I asked one of the girls why she wasn’t being vaccinated and she replied “My parents don’t believe in vaccinations, they think they are a con by the government”. There are some parents with frightening views out there being fuelled by the AVN and Meryl Dorey.
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Gardasil also has a powerful anti- lobby from some religious types who think that vaccinating kids (it’s beneficial for boys too) against a sexually transmitted infection will mean they will go out and have heaps of sex.
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Incidentally news broke today that Gardasil for boys is to be funded in Australia. Antivaxers are already failing to get the point (that it prevents genital warts, anal cancer *and* the spread of the disease to girls) and whining about how “boys don’t get cervical cancer anyway”
Thanks for the anatomy lesson, antivaxers.
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Yes, well it’s better to get HPV and maybe cancer than be called a slut, Melissa. Everyone knows that.
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Well I have to say I’m not surprised, Anonymous, as this is the sort of nonsense put out by the antivax crowd on the subject:
http://vactruth.com/2011/11/01/drug-companies-sexualizing-kids/
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This is my favourite bit from the, ahem, article:
“This [HPV] vaccine is being given to children at a time when they should be climbing trees, riding their bikes and enjoying life, not worrying about sexually transmitted diseases… What I am seeing is a worldwide tragedy. Drug companies are beginning to feel the need to sexualize and pimp our children along with shops, schools, and governments.”
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Or parents out there who take “informed consent” seriously and do their own research. Start here:
http://vaxtruth.org/
Educate yourself BEFORE you give informed consent. Otherwise it isn’t informed.
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Congratulations MM and supporters!!!
You definitley deserve a pat on the back for uniting and creating a very strong voice that has been heard!!
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Hear! Hear!
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I’m sorry but all I can hear in my head is oh don’t take her too seriously?? rEaLLY???? Omg! Do you not think that people have probably said that about cult leaders through out time! Do you not think that people probably said that about Hitler?! You can’t just spread blatant lies and misrepresent yourself. That is fraud! She is making money off this and damaging the lives of people who have been gullible enough to fall for it. And you know what with an organization named the Australian Vaccination Network and lots of scary “facts” people are going to believe it and it’s not really their fault. It’s a con. I don’t mean to sound belittling and this has nothing to do with intelligence but a lot of people with out a uni back ground or science back ground wouldn’t have a clue what reputable data is. I know I didn’t! And what about those that are mentally ill especially those with paranoia as well. Or those with intellectual disabilities. Come of it! It should be the responsibility of the government to protect people who are vulnerable from people like Meryl. Who are predators! I’m glad he spoke out and said that she was spreading incorrect information but this isn’t America! We don’t have the right to say whatever we want and I honestly believe that she shouldn’t be allowed to speak. But hey if they are going to let her surely there must be a Doctor or a scientist (someone who actually is an expert) that can speak after her. Merly I really hope you stop these lies before you influence the wrong people and help spread deadly diseases. Btw I JUST GOT MY WHOOPING COUGH BOOSTER AND I FEEL GREAT!!!! Yes it was necessary to use all caps!
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Well done, Geoff Wilson!! A politician actually telling it like it is, in no uncertain terms.
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I love a forthright statement. Brillo.
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You may have noticed – I do too!
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Show your support guys!
Social Media is the best place to get the word out!:
http://www.facebook.com/stopavn
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I’ve been following this story with interest all week. I think it’s wonderful the Health Minister has released a statement asking people to ignore her nonsense. I just hope it reaches the right people; those who hear her talk. Unfortunately, the government is sponsoring the event that is giving this person a platform to sprout her ill-advised beliefs. All parents should respect the miracle that vaccinations are and have their children vaccinated. As others have pointed out, vaccinations aren’t without risk, but the risk is minuscule compared to the risk of not having them vaccinated.
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I’ll be speaking to Gary Hardgrave on 4BC Drive this afternoon re Dorey/Woodford scandal – just after 5pm news. I’ve told Woodford Festival organizers I’d love to make it a good news story and be able to praise them for making the wise decision to withdraw Ms Dorey’s invitation to attend in the interests of public health. Two hours to go. Hopefully they will see the light by then.
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I think it’s important to vaccinate but it’s also important to remember that some people do have a reaction but they are the minority.
I honestly don’t understand how someone with no qualifications, no credentials and someone who has been discredited by people who know about the subject, is allowed to speak as if she has authority on the subject.
xxxmissvxxx.wordpress.com
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agree completely!
why is this endemic in our society?
“someone with no qualifications, no credentials and someone who has been discredited by people who know about the subject, is allowed to speak as if she has authority on the subject”
hello climate change skeptics
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See also: creation ‘scientists’
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Check out this great story of a teenager fighting back against ‘miracle cure’ organisations.
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/morgan-the-boy-whos-monstering–miracle-cures-20111215-1ow60.html
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What a cool kid. I bet his parents are proud, although nervous.
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What an awesome kid! You would not believe some of the crazy people my parents have taken me to try and cure my migraines. I love my parents for trying but in the end it made me sooo angry I refused to try anything unless it’s was reputable. One woman talked to my body and claimed she cured me (she caused a massive migraine so I just said yeah fine cos I was in so much pain I had to get out of there to take medication) and charged 200 bucks. I wish I had called near out on being a fraud or just plain nuts!
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I’m not against vaccinations but when a child has a serious reaction to one like mine did you do question it safety and having to make a decision whether to vaccinate my baby I’ve just had was the hardest decision of my life.
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ktee, nobody ever tried to claim vaccinations were risk free. It’s about weighing up that risk against the consequences of NOT vaccinating which are far far greater, not just for your own child but for babies too young to have had their shots yet.
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Exactly Mia.
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But good point from ktee – if my kids had had a ‘serious reaction’ to the vaccinations, which they didn’t, I imagine on an emotional level I would have also had to think long and hard about whether the next jab was in the best interest of the child at that time in their life.
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This is exactly why Meryl Dorey needs to be shown for the fear mongering non-expert she is. Many people are worried about vaccinations, but they need to be getting truthful information, not conspiracy theories.
It’s especially important for children who have had a reaction, so their parents can decide how best to manage it and whether there is anything that requires further investigation that could have caused it. These are the people who need the best information science can give them, not rumours and fear.
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Which is exactly why you want everyone vaccinated so your child will be protected.
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Mia, you are a great Australian. Meryl Dorey is a seppo, can we send her home?
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Alas, they’re not 100% safe, and no doctor would ever say that they are, or ever can be.
As awful as having a reaction to any vaccine can be, the vast majority of people have none, and the risk to everybody of people not having the vaccine can be even more damaging.
I truly hope that both you child and yourself are ok.
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The daughter of a close friend of mine had a bad reaction to her first vaccination. My daughter was a couple of months younger and it made me question whether we should have her vaccinated. As my friend said to me “It’s one in a million, and you know the one, so I think you’re pretty safe”. Easier to say when it’s not my child, I know. Good luck x
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But I think though as parents we worry about everything. I am 100% pro-vacc and yet I still take a deep breath each time in case there is an anyphylactic reaction. I also take that same deep breath when I give panadol for the first time, or an antibiotic, or eggs, or peanut butter, or let them walk across the street, or go to swimming lessons on their own or….there is alot in life that is scary. My daughter had a bit of a fever from one of them but was otherwise ok, although I know some kids can get high fevers (which they warn you about at the time). At least I know that once that initial phase has passed then my children have the benefits of vaccination. That breath I take when one of them seems to be coming down with something is even deeper, hoping htat it isn’t anything serious.
I hope your kids don’t have too many other bad reactions.
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I agree completely – parenting is scary – I have recently read in the local rag – The West Australian Newspaper, that parents are giving children peanut paste for the first time in the park across from the Children’s Hospital in case they have a reaction. The good thing about vaccinations is that you are already able to stay on site at the hospital/clinic!
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Unfortunately, for every genuine reaction, there are a hundred antivaxer anecdotes about “vaccine damage”, such as Meryl Dorey’s list of those “injured by gardasil”, which counted girls who died in car crashes weeks later. I’m serious.
It cheapens the experiences of parents and children who have experience one of the rare reactions – which, incidentally, are orders of magnitude less common than serious reactions to the diseases the vaccines prevent – and it clouds the issue with misinformation.
And it’s just one more reason Meryl needs to be stopped
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My daughter also had a bad reaction – tell the doctor about your history and they have several options available to help (such as staggering the immunisations or longer monitoring).
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They staggered my son’s vaccinations as he has been very unwell and we had no issues. I think it helps that we are lucky enough to have a family doctor who’s treated 3 generations of our family and who knows what allergies and reactions are common in our family.
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And it seems that the local ABC station and JJJ (I know, they’re the same organisation – but they had different logos on the sponsor page) have withdrawn their support. No response to my email from a couple of days ago but it seems that the intensity of opposition has swayed them.
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That’s impressive! Will get it verified unless I’ve missed their statement somewhere? Frantic in here today!
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Well? It’s been like fifteen minutes!
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It’s a shame the Hack show at Triple J has finished for the year.
Would have loved to here Tom Tilly’s thoughts on it and the rest of the callers.
Love ABC Triple J even more
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love hack! It’s the only time i listen to the radio!
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