DUMP McCARTHY PUSH

TORONTO — Toronto Public Health is trying to get Jenny McCarthy dumped from her new gig co-hosting The View.

Public Health came out Monday protesting McCarthy, a former Playboy playmate and actress, being tapped to join the U.S. daytime talk show starting this September.

McCarthy’s addition to The View, announced by ABC last week, has been met with criticism by some due to concerns over controversial comments she's made that autism can be caused by vaccinations. Public health officials maintain vaccines do not cause autism.

On Monday, Toronto Public Health waded into the debate about McCarthy's hiring through a post on the taxpayer-funded agency’s official Twitter account.

“(Jenny McCarthy) anti-vaccine views = misinformation,” the public health agency tweeted. "Please ask (The View) to change their mind."

The tweet included a link to a Toronto Public Health fact sheet on the impact of vaccinations in Canada showing that the number of cases of measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, pertussis and polio have all decreased since vaccinations were introduced.

In a followup tweet, public health stated McCarthy "cites fraudulent research on vaccines."

"It's irresponsible to provide her with (The View) platform," the agency tweeted.

The Twitter tirade against McCarthy led to a hastily called press conference at public health headquarters with associate medical officer of health Dr. Barbara Yaffe.

"I just want to say to The View that we hope they will ensure that accurate scientific information about vaccination is provided if immunization is discussed on the show," Yaffe said.

A spokesman for ABC said they have no further comment beyond Barbara Walters' announcement on The View last week.