Misleading and inaccurate claims published by an Australian anti-vaccination campaign group pose a risk to public health, a government watchdog has ruled.
The , the health watchdog for the state of New South Wales, based in Sydney, yesterday over information presented on the website of the Australian Vaccination Network (AVN).
The HCCC warning states that the AVN site 鈥渜uotes selectively from research to suggest vaccination to be dangerous鈥� and 鈥渃ontains information that is incorrect and misleading鈥�, such as saying measles is a 鈥渘on-threatening illness鈥�.
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On 7 July, the HCCC gave the AVN two weeks to comply with its request to include a warning on the site stating that the claims were not medical advice, and that parents should consult healthcare providers about their children鈥檚 vaccination options.
The AVN has failed to comply, triggering HCCC鈥檚 public warning that the website could guide people to making improperly informed vaccination decisions.
Misleading claims
The AVN website states that measles is a 鈥渘on-threatening illness鈥�, despite it having worldwide in 2000.
It also claims that 鈥渧accines have never been tested鈥�, on the grounds that they do not undergo double-blind crossover placebo trials. In these, those being vaccinated would be switched to receiving placebos and vice versa.
However, the group fails to mention that such crossover trials are impossible for vaccines, because the effects of vaccines would linger in participants after they had been switched to placebos.
The AVN only has around 2000 members. However, because its website has a high Google ranking it is an influential source of information on vaccination in Australia.
鈥淭he scientific community challenges anti-vaccination groups by publishing good science in academic journals, but that doesn鈥檛 reach the public,鈥� says Ken McLeod of the pressure group .
McLeod, who filed the complaint to the HCCC, says he is now planning to seek a court order to force the AVN to make the changes requested by the HCCC.
