Call to name and shame toxic lies of anti-vax conspiracists

The consequences of their rhetoric are serious and they should be ashamed of themselves Birmingham MP Jack Dromey (Labour), pictured left

ANTI vaxxers who spread toxic lies should be ‘ashamed’ of their role in limiting the vaccine rollout, an MP claimed this week.

Jack Dromey called for the worst culprits to be named and shamed, labelling them ‘shameful’ for discouraging vulnerable people from taking the jab and trying to override scientifically proven facts.

And Sandwell’s public health chief Dr Lisa McNally took to Twitter to express her outrage at the claims made by some opposed to the vaccination rollout.

She posted a thread highlighting some of the ludicrous claims and mischievous rumours spread by ‘scamdemic’ campaigners.

A furious Mr Dromey said he had seen first hand the consequences of people listening to anti-vaxxer ‘politically motivated rhetoric’, with people then declining the vaccine.

He added: “There is a clear difference between the disgraceful, politically motivated anti-vaxxers on one hand, and those large numbers of people in Birmingham who are reluctant for different reasons.

“Some people have swallowed the rhetoric of people spreading misinformation, saying for example ‘you can’t have a baby if you get vaccinated’.

“In my own constituency we wrote to more than 15,000 people direct, urging them to take up the offer of the vaccine and to ignore those spreading misinformation.

“We need to encourage take-up and discourage anyone influenced by anti-vaxxers – the consequences of their rhetoric are serious and they should be ashamed of themselves.”

McNally, public health director for Sandwell, said the actions of anti-vaxxers was abhorrent. She highlighted, for example, how some anti-vaxxers have even abused mothers who lost their children to the virus.

Mr Dromey said countering the misinformation was vital.

“The leadership of the black and

Asian minority ethnic communities and faith communities in Birmingham has been forceful.

“We need to back that up with persuasion, knocking on doors, taking the vaccine to them through local vaccination pop up clinics, and through peer leadership.

“Set against that is a reluctance by some communities – the evidence is that the anti vaxxers have persuaded a number of people that, for example, you can’t have a baby if you have the vaccine.

“This is a toxic lie.”

He added: “We do have problems, well documented, around reasons for reluctance and we need to break those down and make it as easy as possible to get a vaccine.”