Jeremy Rockliff

Premier of Tasmania



4 March 2019

Michael Ferguson, Minister for Health

Anti-vax message unacceptable

Unsurprisingly, Labor is again trying to score cheap political points at the expense of facts.

The State Government is concerned about reports of anti-vaccination material at the wellness expo.

We strongly support public vaccinations, and Tasmania’s latest child immunisation rates are the best ever on record.

It was this Government that recently undertook an extensive campaign, successfully delivering more than 96,000 meningococcal vaccinations.

While in previous years the wellness expo has overwhelmingly exhibited evidence-based services and information, it is not a Government-run event and we have no oversight of decisions around exhibitors at the event.

The Health Department will reach out to organisers and the Government is strongly encouraging them to closely review the content of their exhibitors in the future.

Fortunately, it seems the vast majority of Tasmanians are ignoring this sort of ill-informed ‘advice’ around vaccinations, with our Government achieving some extremely impressive vaccination rates in recent years.



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