Anti-vaxxers targeting schools, plan maildrop
The Ministry of Education has warned schools several are being targeted by opponents of the national vaccination programme for Covid-19.
Bulletins published for school leaders have addressed misinformation since March 2020.
This month’s update, however, specifies the department is aware of reports influential leaders – such as principals – were opposing vaccination.
“Individual principals may choose not to be vaccinated but they should not be advocating views in opposition to the director general of health,” it said.
The department’s secretary for education Iona Holsted said the update encouraged the education community to keep using sources of verified information.
Holsted said school leaders hold a “respected and trusted role” in their communities and throughout the pandemic had done a great job keeping their communities updated with accurate health information.
“While individuals may choose not to be vaccinated, we would all be very concerned if any senior and influential member of the education community was speaking out against the advice of the director general of health.”
The warning to principals comes after tens of thousands of pamphlets airing conspiracy theories have been circulated in the public, and claims made online.
Last month, an organisation attacking public faith in New Zealand’s Covid-19 strategy claimed it had raised $50,000 towards printing 2 million virus “fact” flyers to be dropped nationwide — and was considering printing more.
The flyers, which Voices For Freedom intends to deliver to every letterbox in the country, outlines multiple conspiracy theories about Covid-19 vaccines and their effects. Their contents have been described as “misleading” and in some cases “palpably false”.
Voices For Freedom co-founder Claire Deeks claimed $50,000 had been raised from “hundreds of donors” for the mass drop.
When asked when she expected the entire 2 million flyers to be delivered, Deeks said the drop would end when there were no more flyers, before suggesting more could be printed.
University of Otago clinical microbiologist and immunologist James Ussher said it was disappointing to see such harmful information being spread.
“These claims are misleading and misrepresent the reality of the situation,” he said.
Ussher, the scientific director of Vaccine Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand, said the Pfizer vaccine, was shown to be extremely safe with more than 130 million doses administered in the United States alone with no evidence of unmanageable side-effects.
Ussher said these flyers undermined trust in the vaccine, putting New Zealand’s future in jeopardy as borders reopened, bringing virus into the community.