Vaccine Choice Canada

Last updated
Vaccine Choice Canada
AbbreviationVCC
FounderEdda West [1]
TypeNon-profit advocacy organization
Location
President
Ted Kuntz [2] [3]
G Baribeau D Anderson T Kuntz
Website vaccinechoicecanada.com
Formerly called
Vaccination Risk Awareness Network (VRAN) [4]

Vaccine Choice Canada (VCC) is Canada's main anti-vaccination group. [1] [2] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] It was founded in 1986 under the name Association for Vaccine Damaged Children, became the Vaccination Risk Awareness Network in 1994 and adopted its current name in 2014. [10] [11] [12] The group has been contributing to vaccine hesitancy in Canada, encouraging citizens to forgo immunization and legislators to support anti-vaccine regulations and legislation. [1] [6]

Contents

Vaccine hesitancy

VCC spreads the discredited hypothesis that vaccination causes autism and denies that the introduction of vaccines led to a decline of the targeted diseases. They blame vaccination for a variety of ailments, including autism spectrum disorders, learning disabilities, ADHD, allergies, and asthma. [4] [13]

The group argues incorrectly that a vaccine against COVID-19 is unnecessary. Late in the pandemic, it still repeated the discredited myth that the pandemic is no more severe than the flu. [3]

Although a small fraction of vaccine doses provoke serious adverse reactions, health professionals agree the benefits of being protected against a wide range of infectious diseases far outweigh the risks. Responding directly to communications from Vaccine Choice Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada stated that the science on vaccines is unequivocal, but laments the actions of "a small but vocal anti-vaccination community that spreads false information. They use powerful emotional images and misinformation with their message. This creates confusion and fear for parents who are trying to make the best decisions for the health and wellbeing of their children." Timothy Caulfield estimates the proportion of Canadians who exhibit vaccine hesitancy between 20 and 30 percent, connecting the anti-vaccination movement to a rise in populism and a mistrust in expertise. [7] [8]

The World Health Organization has identified vaccine hesitancy as one of 2019's ten global health threats to watch. [14]

Role in COVID-19 pandemic

Similarly to many anti-vaccination groups, Vaccine Choice Canada is opposing several measures instituted by public health authorities to limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its President repeated some of the most widespread myths about the virus, including that it is no more dangerous than influenza and that developing a vaccine is therefore unnecessary. Influenza is actually responsible for 3,500 deaths in a typical year, while the death toll of four months of COVID-19 already exceeded 8,000 at that point. Jonathan Jarry from the Office for Science and Society warned that with anti-vaccination groups misrepresenting legitimate concerns about rushing vaccines into production as anti-vaccine arguments, "we have the beginnings of a perfect storm on our hands to fuel vaccine misinformation". [15] Vaccine Choice Canada partnered newly-created group Hugs Over Masks, a newly-created group protesting against mandatory mask-wearing. [16]

With Denis Rancourt and others, Vaccine Choice Canada tabled a lawsuit against most Canadian governments, seeking to have the courts strike down measures mandated by public health authorities, including regulations introducing the obligation to wear masks in interior public spaces that several provinces adopted. The lawsuit, filed in July 2020 by lawyer Rocco Galati with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, alleges lockdowns, physical distancing and mandatory masking violate the constitutional rights of Canadians. It also makes wider claims about a "New (Economic) World Order" and a "massive and concentrated push for mandatory vaccines of every human on the planet earth with concurrent electronic surveillance" at the behest of "global Billionaire, Corporate and Organizational Oligarchs", which refer to conspiracy theories widely shared on social media by a variety of fringe groups. The lawsuit also names the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, accusing the information network of a "stalinist" campaign to hide the truth about public health measures. [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20]

Public communications

In February 2019, Vaccine Choice bought space on 50 billboards in the Toronto area to broadcast anti-vaccine messages, such as one inviting parents to learn how to get around the obligation to vaccinate children in order to have them attend public schools. The messages displayed on the billboards were characterized as "half-truths" by Toronto's Associate Medical Officer of Health. The campaign was discontinued by Outfront Media after a request from Toronto City Council. The campaign was denounced by Ontario's Minister of Health Christine Elliott, who encouraged Ontarians to get inoculated. [6] [7] [8] [21]

In August 2019, Vaccine Choice Canada admitted it had paid the expenses of American anti-vaccination activists coming to participate in parliamentary committee hearings on vaccine exemptions for school children in New Brunswick, including Bob Sears. During the hearings, VCC spokesperson Ted Kuntz indicated the group intended to take the province's government to court if it decided to eliminate non-medical exemptions. New Brunswick's Education Minister Dominic Cardy denounced the conspiracy theories presented by the witnesses: "If you believe in evidence-based decision-making, you have to look at the evidence, and the evidence is incontrovertible." [22] [23] [24] [25]

Also in early 2019, Vaccine Choice wrote to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to oppose upcoming changes that would make anti-vaccine messages less likely to be propagated by the social media platform, such as not sharing them as automatic recommendations. Speaking for VCC, Ted Kuntz equated these proposed changes in programming with censorship. [26] A representative of the group also participated to a panel of anti-vaccination activists in Toronto, in April 2019. [27]

In October 2019, Vaccine Choice Canada held a rally in Toronto in support of a court case the group launched jointly with five parents against Ontario's Immunization of School Pupils Act, which requires that pupils must have received certain vaccines to attend the public school system. While legal experts believe the court challenge is unlikely to be successful, President of the Ontario Medical Association Sohail Gandhi is concerned the increased visibility gained by the group may result in more disinformation about vaccines being disseminated to the public. [28] [29]

Vaccine Choice issued "Adding Insult To Injury Awards" in 2016 and 2017 to media outlets that produced news reports it disliked. The host of one program was thus targeted, The Sunday Edition's Michael Enright, sarcastically accepted the award with pride, on behalf of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He took the opportunity to talk about pediatrician Peter Hotez's warning that anti-vaccine campaigns will lead to serious outbreaks of measles. The segment of the program VCC was reacting to was an interview with Brendan Nyhan about the "backfire effect". [30]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vaccine hesitancy</span> Reluctance or refusal to be vaccinated or have ones children vaccinated

Vaccine hesitancy is a delay in acceptance, or refusal, of vaccines despite the availability of vaccine services and supporting evidence. The term covers refusals to vaccinate, delaying vaccines, accepting vaccines but remaining uncertain about their use, or using certain vaccines but not others. Although adverse effects associated with vaccines are occasionally observed, the scientific consensus that vaccines are generally safe and effective is overwhelming. Vaccine hesitancy often results in disease outbreaks and deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases. Therefore, the World Health Organization characterizes vaccine hesitancy as one of the top ten global health threats.

A vaccination policy is a health policy adopted in order to prevent the spread of infectious disease. These policies are generally put into place by state or local governments, but may also be set by private facilities, such as workplaces or schools. Many policies have been developed and implemented since vaccines were first made widely available.

Children's Health Defense (CHD) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit activist group mainly known for anti-vaccine disinformation, and which has been called one of the main sources of misinformation on vaccines. Founded under the name World Mercury Project in 2007, it is chaired by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN) is one of the main anti-vaccination groups in the United States. Founded in 2016 by Del Bigtree, it spreads misinformation about the risks of vaccines and contributes to vaccine hesitancy, which has been identified by the World Health Organization as one of the top ten global health threats of 2019. Arguments against vaccination are contradicted by overwhelming scientific consensus about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines.

The New Jersey Coalition for Vaccination Choice (NJCVC) is a state-level anti-vaccination group advocating against mandatory vaccination. Scientists and medical experts have countered many of these statements, arguments against vaccination being contradicted by overwhelming scientific consensus about the safety and efficacy of vaccines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 pandemic in Canada</span>

The COVID-19 pandemic in Canada is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019. It is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Most cases over the course of the pandemic have been in Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta. Confirmed cases have been reported in all of Canada's provinces and territories.

The Stop Mandatory Vaccination website and associated Facebook group are some of the major hubs of the American anti-vaccination movement. It was established by anti-vaccination activist Larry Cook in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bonnie Henry</span> Canadian public health officer

Bonnie J. Fraser Henry is a Canadian epidemiologist, physician, and public servant who has been the provincial health officer at the British Columbia Ministry of Health since 2014. Henry is also a clinical associate professor at the University of British Columbia. She is a specialist in public health and preventive medicine, and is a family doctor. In her role as provincial health officer, Henry notably led the response to COVID-19 in British Columbia (BC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Learn The Risk</span> American anti-vaccination group

Learn The Risk is an American anti-vaccine group founded in 2015. It is known for its billboard campaigns asserting vaccines are responsible for a large number of deaths of young children. Arguments against vaccination are contradicted by overwhelming scientific consensus about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines.

The COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto is a viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), localized in Toronto. Toronto is the most populous city in Canada, and the fourth most populous city in North America.

Misinformation related to immunization and the use of vaccines circulates in mass media and social media in spite of the fact that there is no serious hesitancy or debate within mainstream medical and scientific circles about the benefits of vaccination. Unsubstantiated safety concerns related to vaccines are often presented on the internet as being scientific information. A large proportion of internet sources on the topic are mostly inaccurate which can lead people searching for information to form misconceptions relating to vaccines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 vaccination in Canada</span> COVID-19 vaccination programme in Canada

COVID-19 vaccination in Canada is an ongoing, intergovernmental effort coordinated between the bodies responsible in the Government of Canada to acquire and distribute vaccines to individual provincial and territorial governments who in turn administer authorized COVID-19 vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. Provinces have worked with local municipal governments, hospital systems, family doctors and independently owned pharmacies to aid in part, or in full with vaccination rollout. The vaccination effort in full is the largest such immunization effort in the nation's history. The vaccination effort began December 14, 2020, and is currently ongoing.

The COVID-19 protests in Canada are protests that began in April 2020, with protests in Vancouver, Toronto, Edmonton, and Ottawa against the Government of Canada's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent measures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Sky</span> Canadian conspiracy theorist

Christopher Saccoccia, widely referred to as Chris Sky, is a Canadian social media personality known for his involvement in the anti-mask, anti-lockdown, COVID-19 denial and anti-vaccine movements during the COVID-19 pandemic. Saccoccia faces a number of legal issues and criminal charges including for allegations of uttering death threats against Ontario Premier Doug Ford and other public figures and for assault of a police officer, among others. Saccoccia ran for Mayor of Toronto in the 2023 by-election, placing ninth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the United States</span> Reluctance by those living in the USA to be vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the United States is the sociocultural phenomenon of individuals refusing or displaying hesitance towards receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the United States can be considered as part of the broader history of vaccine hesitancy.

The Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) is a law in Ontario, Canada, that requires children and adolescents under the age of 18 to receive certain vaccinations to attend primary and secondary school unless a valid exemption is provided, which includes medical, religious, and conscience exemptions. The law applies to both private and public schools. ISPA was adopted in 1990 and was last amended in 2017.

COVID-19 vaccination in Ontario began in December 2020, when the first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine were administered. In February 2021, shipments for both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines increased significantly. By May 2021, over 50 percent of Ontarians had received their first dose. By the beginning of 2022, over 80 percent of Ontarians had received their first dose.

COVID-19 vaccination mandates in Canada are the responsibility of provinces, territories, and municipalities, and in the case of federal public services and federally-regulated transportation industries, the federal government. COVID-19 vaccines are taxpayer funded in Canada and made available free of charge through the public health care system. The federal government is responsible for procurement and distribution of the vaccines to provincial and territorial authorities; provincial and territorial governments are responsible for administering vaccinations to people in their respective jurisdictions. Mass vaccination efforts began across Canada on December 14, 2020. As the second vaccinations became more widely available in June 2021, Manitoba became the first province in Canada to offer a voluntary vaccine passport.

This timeline includes entries on the spread of COVID-19 misinformation and conspiracy theories related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. This includes investigations into the origin of COVID-19, and the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 which is caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2. Social media apps and platforms, including Facebook, TikTok, Telegram, and YouTube, have contributed to the spread of misinformation. The Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN) reported that conspiracy theories related to COVID-19 began on "day one". CAHN reported on March 16, 2020, that far-right groups in Canada were taking advantage of the climate of anxiety and fear surrounding COVID, to recycle variations of conspiracies from the 1990s, that people had shared over shortwave radio. COVID-19 disinformation is intentional and seeks to create uncertainty and confusion. But most of the misinformation is shared online unintentionally by enthusiastic participants who are politically active.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">19 to Zero</span> Canadian communications initiative

19 to Zero is a Canadian not-for-profit behavioural sciences initiative based in Calgary, Alberta. Hosted at the University of Calgary, the public–private partnership is made up of around 500 members including public health specialists, academics, behavioural psychologists, marketers and multimedia creators. Its purpose is to increase confidence in vaccines for COVID-19 and other diseases by tackling vaccine hesitancy. The group publishes materials on its website and through partner organizations, including videos, billboards, presentations, brochures and in-person events.

References

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  2. 1 2 Gerster, Jane (2020-04-18). "Vaccine hesitancy is a global threat. Experts say watch out for coronavirus misinformation". Global News. Archived from the original on 2020-04-19. Retrieved 2020-04-18.
  3. 1 2 Ireland, Nicole (29 June 2020). "Potential COVID-19 vaccine has re-energized anti-vaccination groups, health experts warn". CBC News. Archived from the original on 29 June 2020. Retrieved 29 June 2020. Alt URL
  4. 1 2 3 Gorski, David (July 22, 2016). "An "open letter" on vaccines deconstructed". Respectful Insolence. Archived from the original on March 11, 2019. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  5. ↑ Dhaliwal, Dhamanpreet; Mannion, Cynthia (October 20, 2020). "Antivaccine Messages on Facebook: Preliminary Audit". JMIR Public Health and Surveillance . 6 (4): e18878. doi: 10.2196/18878 . PMC   7609192 . PMID   33079072.
  6. 1 2 3 Browne, Rachel (February 27, 2019). "Anti-Vaccine Group's Billboard Blitz in Toronto Just Got Cut Short". Vice. Archived from the original on March 11, 2019. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  7. 1 2 3 McQuigge, Michelle (February 27, 2019). "Anti-vaccine campaign 'very concerning,' says Ontario's health minister". Canadian Press. Archived from the original on March 11, 2019. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  8. 1 2 3 Weeks, Carly (February 26, 2019). "Anti-vaccine group launches billboard campaign in Toronto and surrounding area". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on March 11, 2019. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  9. ↑ Picard, André (December 5, 2010). "Time for a national immunization strategy, health officials say". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on March 11, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  10. ↑ Cameron, Derek (April 2021). ""Imagine the Perfect Vaccine": Homeopathic Vaccine Alternatives and Vaccine Discourse in English Canada". Canadian Journal of Health History. 38 (1): 41. doi:10.3138/cbmh.445-052020 – via Researchgate.
  11. ↑ "Federal Corporation Information - 892652-2". Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. Archived from the original on March 11, 2019. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  12. ↑ Brean, Joseph (June 7, 2019). "For all the debunking, anti-vaxxers keep finding an audience. They always have". The Edmonton Journal. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
  13. ↑ Lunau, Kate; Patriquin, Martin (January 9, 2012). "Asking for an outbreak of preventable diseases". MacLean's. Archived from the original on March 11, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  14. ↑ "Ten threats to global health in 2019". World Health organization. Archived from the original on March 11, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  15. 1 2 Ireland, Nicole (29 June 2020). "Potential COVID-19 vaccine has re-energized anti-vaccination groups, health experts warn". CBC News. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  16. 1 2 Ireland, Nicole (27 July 2020). "Anti-masking groups draw from anti-vaccination playbook to spread misinformation". CBC News. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  17. ↑ Jessica, Smith Cross (21 July 2020). "MPP doubles down on COVID skepticism, but distances himself from 'Plandemic' conspiracy". QP Briefing. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  18. ↑ Nadeau, Jean-Philippe (21 July 2020). "Le masque obligatoire est-il constitutionnel?". Radio-Canada nouvelles (in French). Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  19. ↑ "Image of misleading flyer about face masks spreads on social media". Fact check AFP. 27 July 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  20. ↑ Butler, Colin (13 August 2020). "Details emerge of Vaccine Choice Canada lawsuit over coronavirus response". CBC News. Archived from the original on 19 August 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  21. ↑ Young, Leslie (March 3, 2019). "A 'good hook': Why some people listen to anti-vaccination messages". Global. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
  22. ↑ Poitras, Jacques (2019-08-27). "Education minister rips into vaccine opponents as hearings open". CBC News. Archived from the original on 2019-08-29. Retrieved 2019-08-28.
  23. ↑ Bissett, Kevin (2019-08-27). "New Brunswick education minister warns against anti-vaccination message". CTV News. Archived from the original on 2019-08-29. Retrieved 2019-08-28.
  24. ↑ Brown, Silas (2019-08-28). "Anti-vaccination group to challenge New Brunswick mandatory immunization bill". Global News. Archived from the original on 2019-08-29. Retrieved 2019-08-28.
  25. ↑ Fraser, Elizabeth (2019-08-26). "Hearings on mandatory vaccines for students draw speakers on both sides of issue". CBC News. Archived from the original on 2019-08-29. Retrieved 2019-08-18.
  26. ↑ Ireland, Nicole (March 1, 2019). "'It's a war around the truth': Health experts, Facebook and YouTube play catch-up with anti-vaxxers". CBC News. Archived from the original on March 11, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  27. ↑ Weeks, Carly (February 6, 2019). "Toronto conference to feature prominent anti-vaccine activist Del Bigtree". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
  28. ↑ Jeffords, Shawn (October 29, 2019). "Court challenge of Ontario's vaccination law unlikely to succeed: experts". Canadian Press. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  29. ↑ "Anti-vaccine group, 5 moms launching legal challenge to Ontario's child vaccination law". Canadian Press. October 29, 2019. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  30. ↑ Enright, Michael (February 26, 2017). "We won an award for dishonesty, and we're very proud of it! - Michael's essay". CBC. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
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