GP aims jab at anti-vax screening
A doctor and 2014 New Zealander of the year has slammed the antivaccination movement at a screening of one of its movies.
Dr Lance O’Sullivan took to the stage at a screening of the controversial movie Vaxxed in Kaitaia on Monday evening to tell those gathered he was not there to see the film.
‘‘I’ve come here ... to continue my battle and my challenge for my people ... and importantly, for our children.
‘‘I come here with a lot of anger ... and that’s because I am adamantly opposed to this because this position, this idea of antiimmunisation has killed children around the world and actually will continue to kill children ... whose parents are put off immunisation because of misinformation – misinformation based on lies, quite frankly.’’
Later in his speech, he said: ‘‘Your presence here will cause babies to die.’’
O’Sullivan and other health professionals had been invited to the screening. The event – and other screenings – had apparently been kept secret until just before they were due to be held.
Vaxxed was directed by discredited scientist Andrew Wakefield, whose fraudulent research linked the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine to autism in 1998.
In April, Nikki Turner, the director of New Zealand’s Immunisation Advisory Centre and chair of the World Health Organisation’s committee for measles and rubella elimination, said the film was premised on ‘‘scare tactics’’.
‘‘We’ve very clear about the science here ... This vaccine is not associated with autism,’’ Turner said.