‘Dangerous’: Scott Morrison unleashes on anti-vax MP George Christensen

Scott Morrison has slammed a rogue Liberal National MP’s calls for parents to stop vaccinating children as “dangerous”.

Scott Morrison has slammed a Liberal Nationals MP’s calls for parents to stop vaccinating children as “dangerous”.

Despite hundreds of deaths and surging infection rates, a group of vaccine sceptics in the Coalition continue to raise doubts about the vaccine.

The Prime Minister has told news.com.au he completely rejects LNP MP George Christensen call for parents to stop vaccinating kids and urged families to listen to the medial experts.

“I strongly disagree with the message sent out by Mr Christensen regarding children’s vaccinations,” the Prime Minister said.

“It is contrary to the official professional medical advice provided to the Government, and I urge parents to disregard his dangerous messages in relation vaccines.

“Vaccinations are our primary weapon against this virus. More than 90 per cent of Australians aged over 16 are fully vaccinated. If you are not vaccinated against the virus you are more likely to experience severe illness and die. Getting vaccinated saves lives.

“This is the clear advice to all Australians, who are eligible to have a vaccine, from the Australia’s chief medical officer.

“This includes 5 to 11 year olds who are provided with a special children’s vaccine that has been approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. These are the same medical experts who approve all other vaccines for children in Australia. They are the world’s best medical regulators.

“These are the experts that have the knowledge, accountability and experience to provide the credible and reliable advice that parents need to make important decisions about their child’s best interests.”

Scott Morrison has slammed a Liberal Nationals MP’s calls for parents to stop vaccinating children as “dangerous”.Picture: NCA NewsWire /Gary Ramage

Dawson MP George Christensen has urged parents not to vaccinate their kids. Picture: Contributed

Mr Christensen publicly called for parents not to vaccinate their kids in a provocative podcast he predicted will “break the internet.”

“Do NOT vax your children with these mRNA “vaccines”. There. I’ve said it. Find out why here,” he wrote linking to a podcast.

The Queensland MP issued the warning on his “Conservative One: Pandemic Unmasked” podcast.

“In this episode, Dr Robert Malone and I talk about the impacts of the mRNA vaccines on children. It’s important that you share this episode with every parent you know,” he said.

The Prime Minister has previously been accused of double standards over vaccine sceptics in his ranks.

Immigration Minister Alex Hawke recently argued he considered tennis star Novak Djokovic presence in the country a “health risk” as it could foster anti-vaccination sentiment.

Labor’s immigration spokesperson Kristina Keneally said if that was the case the Prime Minister should rein in his own anti-vaxxers.

“Mr Morrison can‘t pretend he’s tough on Novak Djokovic and then go weak when he’s got people like George Christensen and Senator (Matt) Canavan out there undermining our vaccine roll out,” Opposition home affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally said.

“If you really care about supporting the vaccine rollout, if you really care about ensuring that children get vaccinated, if you really care about ensuring that Australians get their booster shots, stand up today.”

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, a father of six, told news.com.au that he rejected Mr Christensen’s advice to parents.

“I disagree with George and I imagine many others do as well,” he said.

The rebel Liberal National MP (above) made the dangerous statement on a podcast with controversial scientist Dr Robert Malone. PICTURE: MATT TAYLOR

Greg Hunt and Paul Kelly address controversy

Chief medical officer Paul Kelly said the expert advice on the safety of vaccines for kids was clear.

“We are of one voice. It is very important for children now down to the age of five to be vaccinated. And so please go ahead with that and listen to the experts,” he said.

Health minister Greg Hunt said he completely rejected Mr Christensen’s public comments.

He said the simple fact was that parents were voting with their feet.

“Frankly, the anti-vaxxers aren’t just losing the debate, they’ve lost the debate,” he said.

“We’re at a 95% national vaccination (for 16 year olds and over).”

Christensen’s controversial podcast guest

A self-described inventor of MRNA vaccines and a virologist, Dr Malone has been banned from Twitter for promoting Covid-19 misinformation.

In a TikTok video released this year he claimed spike proteins from COVID-19 vaccines would harm children’s organs.

Experts shot down the claim arguing proteins are not toxic or harmful to children or anyone else, and do not damage organs. Instead, they help stimulate an immune response to protect the body against disease.

A TikTok video posted January 3 shows footage of Dr. Robert Malone saying that when children are given vaccines for COVID-19, “A viral gene will be injected into your children’s cells. This gene forces your child’s body to make toxic spike proteins. These proteins often cause permanent damage in children’s critical organs.”

The caption on the video reads, “Listen please inventor of vaccine says do not get vaccine.” After the video was posted, the account appears to have been banned from TikTok for repeated violations of community standards.

The US doctor has also claimed it’s “nucking futs” for people who have had COVID-19 to get vaccinated.

He also falsely claimed an “explosion of vaccine-associated deaths.”

In one interview he suggested that hospitals are so financially incentivised to claim COVID-19 as the cause of patient deaths that a hypothetical patient “with a bullet hole to the head” would be ruled as a COVID-19 fatality if they tested positive.

Vaccine approved for children aged 5-11 in Australia

Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) provisionally approved the Comirnaty (Pfizer) vaccine for use among 5 to 11-year-old children, with the program rolled out last week.

Children under 12 receive a third of the regular dose, and research has shown the vaccine is 91 per cent effective in stopping serious illness.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Sunday 255,000 doses had been delivered in the first five days of the rollout, with one million more ready to be used.

Mr Christensen’s podcast come less than two weeks after Mr Morrison urged parents to get their children vaccinated to ensure schools “come back and stay back”.

“Parents want to know that the vaccines their children are being given are safe and have had the best regulatory expert panel in the world looking over it to give them that assurance,” he told reporters on January 6.

“As a parent, I wanted it when I had Abbey and Lily go and get their vaccinations.

“Getting kids back to school is very important and getting their vaccination from this week is very important.”

Originally published as ‘Dangerous’: Scott Morrison unleashes on anti-vax MP George Christensen