The City of Sydney council has been criticised for publicising an anti-vaccination event on the “what’s on” part of its website, with politicians and doctors demanding it be removed.
The $15 “Let’s talk about vaccines” information night is scheduled for Monday and promises to answer questions such as: “Government, media and the medical community are pushing more and more vaccines on us. Why?”
The event is to feature a talk by vocal anti-vaccination activist Dr Judith Wilyman and was organised by the No Jab No Pay No Way – Freedom of Choice anti-vaccination group.
On the council’s website, anyone wanting to attend the talk was advised that a text or email containing the venue address would be sent out three hours before it started.
Outcry on social media was swift, with doctors, politicians and members of the public calling on the council to pull promotion of the event.
“Let’s talk about vaccines” isn’t an info night - it’s an event designed to share misinformation & spread scaremongering anti-vaccine propaganda. @cityofsydney need to take this down now! https://t.co/STxpJSBTyR #skepticon
— Dr Brad McKay (@DrBradMcKay) November 19, 2017
Among those demanding the talk be removed from the council website was Tanya Plibersek, deputy Labour leader and MP for Sydney, who asked: “Who approved of this idiocy?”
Who approved this idiocy???
— Tanya Plibersek (@tanya_plibersek) November 19, 2017
I want my rates refunded. https://t.co/9jCnTu3z72
Greens MLC David Shoebridge said the council was not helping the fight against anti-vaccination propaganda.
The link was removed on Sunday after it was brought to the attention of the lord mayor, Clover Moore, and councillor Linda Scott.
Thank you for alerting me to this event - I have spoken with staff and asked for it to be removed immediately.
— Clover Moore (@CloverMoore) November 19, 2017
Scott said on Twitter: “The science is settled, vaccines save lives!”
The City of Sydney said in a statement the event was removed from its listings section because it was “contrary to our values”. “This event should not have been included in the City of Sydney’s ‘what’s on’ listings and it has been removed. This is not a City of Sydney event.”
The statement said that part of the site was a “free events portal” that could be used by people to publicise their events but that “only violent or pornographic material is censored”.
Not an official event, but how does an event by professional anti-vaccination cultists get endorsed and posted on the city of Sydney events website? Surely some screening has to be applied to private events.
— Luke Weston (@lukeweston) November 19, 2017
Wilyman made headlines in 2016 when the University of Wollongong eventually accepted her thesis, which argued against Australia’s pro-vaccination policy. Her work came under heavy criticism, including from those in the medical profession, after she suggested the World Health Organisation and pharmaceutical industry were conspiring to promote vaccinations.
Wilyman has also published research proposing a disproven link between the whooping cough vaccine and autism.
