AVN stripped of charitable status

[Guest guest]

http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2010/s3038849.htmAVN stripped of charitable status

Print EmailAustralian Broadcasting CorporationBroadcast: 14/10/2010Reporter:

Australia's most prominent anti-vaccination group has lost the right to make public appeals for money.

Transcript

LEIGH SALES, PRESENTER: Australia's most prominent anti-vaccination

group has been stripped of its charitable status. The Australian Vaccination Network will no longer be able to make public appeals for money after NSW authorities moved to restrict the organisation's fundraising ability. Leading vaccination experts have welcomed the move and say the group's dangerous, but the vaccination network's leader has vowed to fight on.

reports. JOHN STEWART, REPORTER: The Australian Vaccination Network is run by Meryl Dorey on the North Coast of NSW. The AVN provides anti-vaccination information through its website, magazines and

seminars. In July, the Health Care Complaints Commission accused the AVN of providing inaccurate and misleading information about

vaccinations to parents, but the criticism was dismissed by the group.

MERYL DOREY, AUSTRALIAN VACCINATION NETWORK: This was not an independent investigation. This was an investigation by an organisation that set out to support government policy, which is pro-vaccination.

JOHN STEWART: The Health Care Complaints Commission ordered the AVN

to publish a statement on its website, saying that the group is against

vaccinations and its information should not be read as medical advice.

But the group refused to publish the warning. Today the NSW Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing revoked the group's charitable status, stopping it from making public appeals for money. Meryl Dorey says the decision was politically motivated. MERYL DOREY: This is the way that they handle dissent: by shutting organisations down

that don't agree with their policies, and it's not the sort of move that you would expect in a democratic nation. JOHN STEWART: But vaccination experts like Professor Booy from Westmead Children's Hospital in Sydney say the group is spreading a dangerous message and discouraging parents from vaccinating their children. ROBERT BOOY, NATIONAL CENTRE FOR IMMUNISATION RESEARCH: Children on the North Coast of NSW have died of pertussis. Only last year a child died. Only last year another child in NSW died of varicella, or chicken pox. And these are vaccine-preventable diseases. It's a tragedy. JOHN STEWART: Meryl Dorey says her group will continue, regardless of the new

fundraising limits. MERYL DOREY: It may make things more difficult, but it's not gonna stop us. We have a right to operate. Parents have a right to the information that we offer them. ROBERT

BOOY: They are certainly a danger to public health. I've been very concerned for quite a long time about the fact that the very thing they say they're doing, which is providing people with options, with choice, is the very thing they take away, by being completely subjective, non-evidence-based and not supportive of the truth, which is that vaccines are generally beneficial and have some side effects. By

being that way, they have reduced people's choices, convinced people not to vaccinate and children have died. JOHN STEWART: The AVN says it will keep going by using private donations. , Lateline.

Meryl Doreymeryl@...Australian Vaccination NetworkInvestigate before you vaccinate02 6687 1699 - Work02 6687 2032 - FAX"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." - linThe AVN is a Charity Authority Holder (CFN11694).We rely on the help and support of our members and subscribers to continue offering our services freely and without prejudice.Please consider helping us by subscribing to Living Wisdom and joining as an AVN member. Go to http://www.avn.org.au to subscribeWe also sell books and information packs. Go to http://avn.org.au/catalog/ for more details.

[Guest guest]

AVN is reducing parents' choices?? That's a funny one.

And it's time to stop calling it "anti-vaccination information." It's called truth. They are threatened by it--as they should be. They are handing you a lot of power by doing this, Meryl, power well-earned.

Winnie AVN stripped of charitable statusAVN > http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2010/s3038849.htm> AVN stripped of charitable status> > Print Email> > Australian Broadcasting Corporation> > Broadcast: 14/10/2010> > Reporter: > > Australia's most prominent anti-vaccination group has lost the > right to make public appeals for money.> > Transcript> > LEIGH SALES, PRESENTER: Australia's most prominent anti-> vaccination group has been stripped of its charitable status. > > The Australian Vaccination Network will no longer be able to > make public appeals for money after NSW authorities moved to > restrict the organisation's fundraising ability. > > Leading vaccination experts have welcomed the move and say the > group's dangerous, but the vaccination network's leader has > vowed to fight on. > > reports.> > JOHN STEWART, REPORTER: The Australian Vaccination Network is > run by Meryl Dorey on the North Coast of NSW. The AVN provides > anti-vaccination information through its website, magazines and > seminars.> In July, the Health Care Complaints Commission accused the AVN > of providing inaccurate and misleading information about > vaccinations to parents, but the criticism was dismissed by the group.> > MERYL DOREY, AUSTRALIAN VACCINATION NETWORK: This was not an > independent investigation. This was an investigation by an > organisation that set out to support government policy, which is > pro-vaccination.> > JOHN STEWART: The Health Care Complaints Commission ordered the > AVN to publish a statement on its website, saying that the group > is against vaccinations and its information should not be read > as medical advice.> > But the group refused to publish the warning. > > Today the NSW Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing revoked the > group's charitable status, stopping it from making public > appeals for money.> > Meryl Dorey says the decision was politically motivated.> > MERYL DOREY: This is the way that they handle dissent: by > shutting organisations down that don't agree with their > policies, and it's not the sort of move that you would expect in > a democratic nation.> > JOHN STEWART: But vaccination experts like Professor Booy > from Westmead Children's Hospital in Sydney say the group is > spreading a dangerous message and discouraging parents from > vaccinating their children.> > ROBERT BOOY, NATIONAL CENTRE FOR IMMUNISATION RESEARCH: Children > on the North Coast of NSW have died of pertussis. Only last year > a child died. Only last year another child in NSW died of > varicella, or chicken pox. And these are vaccine-preventable > diseases. It's a tragedy.> > JOHN STEWART: Meryl Dorey says her group will continue, > regardless of the new fundraising limits.> > MERYL DOREY: It may make things more difficult, but it's not > gonna stop us. We have a right to operate. Parents have a right > to the information that we offer them. > > ROBERT BOOY: They are certainly a danger to public health. I've > been very concerned for quite a long time about the fact that > the very thing they say they're doing, which is providing people > with options, with choice, is the very thing they take away, by > being completely subjective, non-evidence-based and not > supportive of the truth, which is that vaccines are generally > beneficial and have some side effects. > > By being that way, they have reduced people's choices, convinced > people not to vaccinate and children have died.> > JOHN STEWART: The AVN says it will keep going by using private > donations.> , Lateline. > Meryl Dorey> meryl@...> Australian Vaccination Network> Investigate before you vaccinate> 02 6687 1699 - Work> 02 6687 2032 - FAX> > "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little > temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." - > lin> > The AVN is a Charity Authority Holder (CFN11694).> > We rely on the help and support of our members and subscribers > to continue offering our services freely and without prejudice.> > Please consider helping us by subscribing to Living Wisdom and > joining as an AVN member. Go to http://www.avn.org.au to subscribe> > We also sell books and information packs. Go to > http://avn.org.au/catalog/ for more details.> >