But it's been one of those weeks!

I just got off the phone with ABC Far North QLD and it's been a long time since I was this angry! Before I got on, John Nutting who did the interview had Peter Lavelle from ABC Health (HAH!) on. For an idea of Peter Lavelle's viewpoint, please look at his web page on the measles which you will find at http://www.abc.net.au/health/thepulse/stories/2008/07/17/2306469.htm.

Rarely have I heard such a load of bull! The measles is coming into Australia from countries like the UK and the US where anti vaccinations movements are more efficient and as a result, they have caused the vaccination rates to drop and travellers from those areas are bringing diseases here (fear, fear, fear!)

Peter Lavelle said that parents had trouble understanding how injecting a small amount of a virus or a bacteria into a child's body could help make them healthier (well, duh!) so because they didn't understand this, they didn't get their kids vaccinated. And though the anti-vaccination groups overseas were very powerful, we were lucky here in Australia because our groups aren't as effective...ahem - we are NOT anti-vaccination and we are so effective we have caused this backlash! Keep in mind that Peter Lavelle is a journo at the ABC - wonder where his funding comes from?

He also said that while parents do legally have the right to not vaccinate their children, it is getting close to the time where we would have to start looking at the greater good - sounds like compulsory vaccination talk to me. And why not? The medical community rolled over and let themselves be forced into vaccination - will parents stand up for their children if they didn't stand up for themselves?

Please, if you don't do anything else tonight, write a letter to the station. The email is nutting.toby@abc.net.au - that is Toby Nutting who is John Nutting's son and producer and sounds like a lovely guy. Let them know what you think, share information with them and say that you want this issue covered more fairly with less bias. After all, it's your ABC!

Forward your emails to me at meryl@avn.org.au or put me into the bcc field of the email. And also, if you haven't yet donated for the autism advertisement campaign, this is exactly why you NEED to - $20 donations from each and every one of you will strike a blow for informed choice that will set these people on their heels and let Australians in every walk of life know that vaccine reactions are real and that the unvaccinated are not disease carrying, germ ridden morons. Please visit www.avn.org.au and click on the make a donation link on the left hand side or call us on 02 6687 1699. We need your help and you need this campaign as do your children.

Thanks,
Meryl