Northern Rivers Vaccination Supporters

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The Northern Rivers Vaccination Supporters
Formation2013 [1] [2]
TypeNon-governmental advocacy group
FocusRaising awareness of the importance of vaccination in the Northern Rivers region of the New South Wales state of Australia
Membership (2019)
250 [3]
Core Administrators
Dr Rachel Heap and Heidi Robertson
Website http://nrvs.info/

The Northern Rivers Vaccination Supporters (NRVS) is a vaccination advocacy group formed in 2013 by people who were concerned about low vaccination rates in the Northern Rivers region of the Australian state of New South Wales. [1] [2] Rachel Heap, one of the group's core administrators, has said the organization's primary goal is to spread the word that people shouldn't be afraid of vaccines, but instead, "you should be amazed at how extraordinary they are as a public health measure". [4]

Contents

In 2014, the group was presented the Thornett Award for the Promotion of Reason by the Australian Skeptics. In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed the NRVS website as a reliable source of information about vaccines and vaccine safety. [5]

As of 2024, the group is on permanent hiatus, and the website is archived. [6]

Background

The Northern Rivers region of the Australian state of New South Wales has some of the lowest vaccination rates in Australia. [2] As of 2013, the Northern Rivers town of Mullumbimby had the lowest rate of childhood vaccinations in Australia, with under 50% of one, two and five-year-old children fully vaccinated. [7] [8] [9] Rachel Heap has described the Northern Rivers region as a place where "it is not only socially acceptable to refuse vaccination, but supporting vaccination carries the risk of being ostracised". [2]

The NRVS was formed in 2013 by people who were concerned about these low vaccination rates. [1] [2]

Alison Gaylard helped start the group after her two daughters became ill with whooping cough. [10] She says "We're trying to get the correct, factual information out there... And so if people out there are sourcing their information from the correct place, they won't be fed misinformation to make them think they don't have to vaccinate, or that it's scary, or anything like that." And "I would request people check their source of information. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts. And science is factual" [10] In response to her stance on vaccination, Gaylard has received hateful phone calls, much anti-vaccine material by post and has had her daughter approached by a stranger in a supermarket asking if Gaylard was her mother. [11] Northern_Rivers_Vaccination_Supporters

Heidi Robertson contracted whooping cough whilst six months pregnant in 2008 and feared she would lose her baby. [12] The experience motivated her to join with others who shared her concerns about low vaccination rates to found the NRVS. [13] While Heidi acknowledges that there are people that will never get a vaccine, she and NRVS are working to educate those who are on the fence about getting vaccinated by listening to their concerns and addressing them “one cup of tea at a time.” [14]

Activism

NRVS members have made television appearances on both ABC Australia [13] and Today on the Nine Network. [15] Heidi Robertson featured on ABC TV discussing the Australian governments new 'no jab, no play' policy, which denied certain benefits to families who refuse vaccination. [13] NRVS welcomed the policy. [10] In late 2018 the ABC's 7:30 Report revisited the Northern Rivers to look at the impact of the "no jab, no play" policy. [16] This report noted that enrollments in some pre-schools were showing large drops due to the policy and they would drop further in 2020. Early learning educators said that unintended consequences of the policy would disadvantage young unvaccinated children as they could not attend pre-school. NRVS said that this policy seemed to be one of the few ways vaccination rates were increasing and the NewDaily indicated that this was what the policy was designed to do and not putting children's lives at risk was more important than attending pre-school. [17]

In June 2014 the NRVS presented a poster at the 14th National Immunisation Conference held in Melbourne. [18]

In January 2015, Gaylard appeared on The Project TV show discussing calls to ban prominent anti-vaccination activist Dr Sherri Tenpenny from entering Australia, arguing that she poses a danger to public health. [19]

Rachel Heap, a specialist in adult Intensive Care Medicine [2] and Dave Hawkes of Stop the AVN , a virologist and science communicator, [2] [20] represented NRVS on a panel 'Strategic advocacy to reach vaccine hesitant parents' at an Immunisation Advocacy Workshop held in Sydney April 2015. [2] [20]

Gaylard appeared on episode 341 of The Skeptic Zone podcast in May 2015 in which she discussed the workshop. The episode also included interviews with Heidi Robertson and Rachel Heap. [20]

In August 2015, Heidi Robertson and Alison Gaylard appeared on Inside Story defending vaccinations from claims made by anti-vaccine campaigner Maha Al Musa. [11]

In 2018 a photo of a pro-vaccine poster at an Australian doctor's office that was inspired by a posting on the NRVS Facebook page by Dr. Rachel Heap went viral. It reads in part, "And what do you say when he gives influenza to his grandma? How do you explain she won't be coming home from hospital? Not ever.", and continues: "Do you tell them you didn't think these diseases were that serious? That you thought that your organic, home cooked food was enough to protect them? Do you say sorry?" The post drew worldwide attention from pro-vaccine groups, anti-vaccine groups and others. [21]

Heap was asked why she wrote that Facebook post in a 2018 interview on breakfast television show Sunrise. She replied, "I was actually tired, and emotional, and frustrated. I had come off a pretty rough run at work looking after people suffering from stuff that should have been avoidable, and when I was listening to the conversations we were having about vaccination it seemed that something was missing, and that was the voices of their kids. Those kids have no choice, and if children are left vulnerable to preventable disease and they contract those diseases and the impact, the injury of those diseases, that can have a lifelong impact on them, and it seemed somebody needed to speak up for them." [22]

Awards and recognition

Alison Gaylard holding the Thornett Award for the promotion of reason, presented to NRVS at the 2014 Australian Skeptics National Conference Thornet Award 2.JPG
Alison Gaylard holding the Thornett Award for the promotion of reason, presented to NRVS at the 2014 Australian Skeptics National Conference

In 2014, the NRVS was awarded the Thornett Award for the Promotion of Reason at The Australian Skeptics 30th annual convention held in Sydney, Australia. [23] The award was collected by Heidi Robertson and Alison Gaylard. [24] The award, known colloquially known as "The Fred," acknowledges "a member of the public or a public figure who has made a significant contribution to educating or informing the public regarding issues of science and reason." [24]

In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed the NRVS.info website, describing it as "a reliable source of information about vaccines and vaccine safety." [25] [26] [27] The website now forms part of the Vaccine Safety Net Project (VSN) within the WHO's Global Vaccine Safety Initiative, and is evaluated by the WHO for credibility, content and accessibility/design every two years. [25] [28]

In 2017, the NSW Shadow Health Minister Walt Secord, praised NRVS for their "principled stand" in opposing the "dangerous views" of a touring anti-vaccination campaigner, and called for a "united approach" to increase NSW North Coast vaccination rates. [29]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vaccination</span> Administration of a vaccine to protect against disease

Vaccination is the administration of a vaccine to help the immune system develop immunity from a disease. Vaccines contain a microorganism or virus in a weakened, live or killed state, or proteins or toxins from the organism. In stimulating the body's adaptive immunity, they help prevent sickness from an infectious disease. When a sufficiently large percentage of a population has been vaccinated, herd immunity results. Herd immunity protects those who may be immunocompromised and cannot get a vaccine because even a weakened version would harm them. The effectiveness of vaccination has been widely studied and verified. Vaccination is the most effective method of preventing infectious diseases; widespread immunity due to vaccination is largely responsible for the worldwide eradication of smallpox and the elimination of diseases such as polio and tetanus from much of the world. However, some diseases, such as measles outbreaks in America, have seen rising cases due to relatively low vaccination rates in the 2010s – attributed, in part, to vaccine hesitancy. According to the World Health Organization, vaccination prevents 3.5–5 million deaths per year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mullumbimby</span> Town in New South Wales, Australia

Mullumbimby is a town in the Byron Shire in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. It promotes itself as "The Biggest Little Town in Australia". The town lies at the foot of Mount Chincogan in the Brunswick Valley about 9 kilometres by road from the coast. At the 2021 census, Mullumbimby and the surrounding area had a population of 3,589 people. It was first inhabited by Indigenous Australian peoples.

<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. 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.

Viera Scheibner is a Slovak-Australian anti-vaccination activist and retired geologist. From 1958 until 1968 she was assistant professor in the department of geology at Comenius University, Bratislava. Since her retirement from the Department of Mineral Resources, New South Wales, Australia in 1987, Scheibner has been active in the anti-vaccination field, writing and giving lectures opposing vaccines and vaccinations.

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.

The Australian Vaccination-risks Network Inc., formerly known as the Australian Vaccination-Skeptics Network (AVsN), and before that known as the Australian Vaccination Network (AVN), is an Australian anti-vaccination pressure group registered in New South Wales. As Australia's most controversial anti-vaccination organisation, it has lobbied against a variety of vaccination-related programs, downplayed the danger of childhood diseases such as measles and pertussis, championed the cause of alleged vaccination victims, and promoted the use of ineffective alternatives such as homeopathy.

Warnings About Vaccination Expectations NZ (WAVESnz), formerly the Immunisation Awareness Society (IAS), is a New Zealand anti-vaccination lobby group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Health Australia Party</span> Political party in Australia

The Health Australia Party (HAP) was a political party in Australia, founded in 2013 as the Natural Medicine Party. It adopted its current name in 2015.

Stephanie Frances Bailey, more commonly known by the Australian Registered Business Name Stephanie Messenger, is an anti-vaccination activist, lecturer and author from Brisbane, Australia who believes her son was killed by vaccination. She writes children's books focusing on health and social issues, her most noteworthy being Melanie's Marvelous Measles which was published in 2012 but received considerable media attention after the Disneyland measles outbreak in 2014. Messenger organised a 2015 lecture tour of Australia for fellow anti-vaccinationist Sherri Tenpenny. The tour was cancelled due to public outcry over the anti-vaccination stance of the tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judy Wilyman</span> Australian anti-vaccination activist

Roslyn Judith "Judy" Wilyman is an Australian anti-vaccination activist who came to prominence following the controversial award of a humanities PhD titled "A critical analysis of the Australian government's rationale for its vaccination policy" by University of Wollongong. The thesis came under heavy criticism from multiple directions, including medical professionals, due to claims within the thesis, including advancing a conspiracy theory whereby the World Health Organization (WHO) and the pharmaceutical industry supposedly conspire to promote vaccinations in the absence of evidence of safety and efficacy. The awarding of the degree created questions about the standards being applied and whether or not the thesis supervisors and examiners had sufficient knowledge to oversee the research, and led to calls for the university to review the doctorate. A number of individuals and medical organisations – including academics and researchers from other parts of the University of Wollongong – spoke out against the findings of the thesis, emphasising the need for vaccinations in order to prevent serious disease; and the University of Wollongong was criticised for a perceived lack of transparency in their doctoral process and an alleged failure to uphold standards of scholarship.

No Jab No Pay is an Australian policy initiative which withholds three state payments – Child Care Benefit, the Child Care Rebate and a portion of the fortnightly Family Tax Benefit part A per child – for parents of children under 20 years of age who are not fully immunised or on a recognised catch-up schedule. No Jab No Play is a related policy that disallows unvaccinated children from attending preschool and childcare centres, and imposes fines on childcare centres that admit unvaccinated children. The system allows exemptions for children who cannot be safely vaccinated for medical reasons.

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 group has been campaigning against various public health programs, such as vaccination and fluoridation of drinking water. The group has been contributing to vaccine hesitancy in the United States, encouraging citizens and legislators to support anti-vaccine regulations and legislation. Arguments against vaccination are contradicted by overwhelming scientific consensus about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. Its $15-million budget is funded through donations from individuals and affiliate marketing revenues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Samoa measles outbreak</span> Measles epidemic in Samoa in late 2019

The 2019 Samoa measles outbreak began in September 2019. As of 6 January 2020, there were over 5,700 cases of measles and 83 deaths, out of a Samoan population of 200,874. Over three per cent of the population were infected. The cause of the outbreak was attributed to decreased vaccination rates, from 74% in 2017 to 31–34% in 2018, even though nearby islands had rates near 99%.

Taylor Winterstein is an Australian-Samoan online influencer and conspiracy theorist best known for her public anti-vaccination stance. Winterstein has been heavily criticised in several South Pacific, and Australasian countries for her anti-vaccination rhetoric and her seminars have been called "irresponsible" by the Australian Medical Association and a "public health threat" by the Samoan Ministry of Health. She claims she has not encouraged non-vaccination, rather, "informed consent" and "freedom of choice".

Nicola Mary Turner is a New Zealand public health advocate who is a Professor at the University of Auckland and Medical Director of the Immunisation Advisory Centre, an organisation that advises the New Zealand medical profession and the New Zealand Government. She has contributed to advisory committees for the New Zealand Ministry of Health, is a spokesperson for the Child Poverty Action Group and works in general practice. Much of her research and outreach has focused on improving immunisation coverage and closing equity gaps for the national schedule vaccine delivery in New Zealand and she has commented publicly on these issues during COVID-19 in New Zealand.

Helen Aspasia Petousis-Harris is a New Zealand vaccinologist and associate professor in the Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care at the University of Auckland. She has been involved in research related to vaccination in New Zealand since 1998, with her main areas of focus being vaccine safety and effectiveness. Petousis-Harris has had a variety of lead roles in New Zealand and international organisations that focus on vaccination and is a regular media spokesperson in this field, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 vaccination in Malaysia</span> Plan to immunize against COVID-19

The National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme, abbreviated as NIP or PICK, is a national vaccination campaign that is currently being implemented by the Malaysian government as an approach in curbing the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and to end the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia by successfully achieving the highest immunisation rate among its citizens and non-citizens that are residing in Malaysia. It is the largest immunisation programme implemented in the history of the country, and it is being administered by the Special Committee for Ensuring Access to COVID-19 Vaccine Supply (JKJAV) since early 2021.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) is a technical advisory group of the Australian Government. As part of the Department of Health, ATAGI provides advice to the Minister of Health on the immunisation program of Australia and related matters, including the strength of evidence pertaining to existing, new, and emerging vaccines.

Light for Riley is a public health campaign with the aim of increasing awareness of the disease whooping cough (pertussis) and improving vaccination rates. It was founded by Catherine and Greg Hughes in 2015, after they lost their baby Riley to the disease.

Julie Leask or Julie-Anne Leask is an Australian social scientist and professor in the Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney. Leask is a leading researcher on social and behavioural aspects of vaccination and infectious disease prevention. Leask's research focuses on vaccine uptake, communication, strengthening vaccination programs and policy. Leask's flagship project is Sharing Knowledge About Immunisation (SKAI) - a vaccination communication package designed to improve vaccination conversations between parents and health care workers. Additionally, Leask is an advisor to the World Health Organization (WHO) on vaccine acceptance and demand issues and was the chair of the WHO Measuring Behavioural and Social Drivers of Vaccination working group (2018-2022).

References

  1. 1 2 3 Stephenson, Niamh; Chaukra, Shefali; Katz, Ilan; Heywood, Anita (7 March 2018). "Newspaper coverage of childhood immunisation in Australia: a lens into conflicts within public health". Critical Public Health. 28 (4). Informa UK Limited: 472–483. doi:10.1080/09581596.2018.1446510. ISSN   0958-1596. S2CID   148716622.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Immunisation Advocacy Workshop" (PDF). Public Health Association Australia. 28 April 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 January 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  3. ↑ Elliott, Tim (7 June 2019). "How one hippie town became the anti-vaxxer capital of Australia" . The Age. Fairfax. Archived from the original on 8 March 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  4. ↑ "Why you 'shouldn't be afraid' of vaccines: Group". 31 October 2016.
  5. ↑ "Why you 'shouldn't be afraid' of vaccines: Group". northernstar.com. 31 October 2016. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  6. ↑ https://nrvs.info/
  7. ↑ "Mullumbimby vaccination rate below 50 per cent". ABC News. ABC. 20 May 2013. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  8. ↑ "Low vaccination rates make Northern Rivers most "dangerous" place to raise children: State Opposition". ABC North Coast NSW. ABC. 28 March 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  9. ↑ McCutcheon, Peter (14 April 2015). "Visit the town with Australia's lowest rate of child vaccination". ABC . Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  10. 1 2 3 Mortimer, Luke (11 April 2015). "Vaccination supporters welcome government crack down". The Northern Star. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  11. 1 2 Le Marquand, Sarrah (6 August 2015). "Mother Knows Best". Inside Story . Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  12. ↑ Heidi Robertson. "Heidi Robertson". NRVS. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  13. 1 2 3 McCutcheon, Peter (14 April 2015). "Visit the town with Australia's lowest rate of child vaccination". ABC . Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  14. ↑ Judd, Bridget (13 March 2021). "The 'V' word". News. ABC News. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  15. ↑ Tancred, Jessica (17 April 2015). "Anti-vax capital Mullumbimby". Today . Retrieved 27 June 2015.
  16. ↑ ABC 7:30 Report, Anne Blake, Antivax hotspot childcare , retrieved 20 December 2018
  17. ↑ "'No jab, no play' saves lives: Anti-vaxxers don't deserve a platform on this". The New Daily. 19 December 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  18. ↑ "14th National Immunisation Conference". Public Health Association Australia. 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  19. ↑ Rizvi, Jamila (6 January 2015). "Ms Information". The Project . Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  20. 1 2 3 Saunders, Richard (3 May 2015). "The Skeptic Zone #341" (podcast). The Skeptic Zone. Episode 341. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  21. ↑ Anderson, Jenny (28 July 2018). "An Australian doctor's stark note to parents is a devastating blow against anti-vaxxers". Quartz.com. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  22. ↑ "Pro-Vax Sign Goes Viral". Seven Network. 11 August 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  23. ↑ "2014 Skeptics Convention in Retrospect". Australian Skeptics. 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  24. 1 2 "Merit Awards". Australian Skeptics. 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  25. 1 2 "WHO Vaccine safety Net! – Northern Rivers Vaccination Supporters". World Health Organization. 27 October 2016. Archived from the original on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  26. ↑ "NRVS website endorsed by the World Health Organisation". NRVS. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  27. ↑ Saunders, Richard (6 November 2016). "The Skeptic Zone #420". The Skeptic Zone (Podcast). Event occurs at 21:00–26:30. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  28. ↑ "Vaccine Safety Net – VSN objective and general information". World Health Organization. 16 March 2017. Archived from the original on 9 June 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  29. ↑ Rylko, Alina (1 March 2017). "MP calls for anti-vaxxer boycott". Northern Star. Retrieved 23 March 2017.

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