David Wolfe: Aussie anti-vaxxers funded flat earther’s tour

MEMBERS of the Australian anti-vaccination movement are sponsors of flat earther David “Avocado” Wolfe’s down under tour.

Raw food expert David Wolfe.

• Flat Earther brings anti-vax message to Australia
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Members of the anti-vaccination movement are sponsors of the David “Avocado” Wolfe tour of Australia.

The US raw food and herb spruiker who believes that gravity is toxic and that the Earth is flat, is also anti-vaccine.

The 46-year-old Wolfe, who refers to himself as “the rock star and Indiana Jones of the superfoods and longevity universe” has stated on his website that “a growing body of evidence indicates that vaccines are not safe and that they can injure, permanently maim, or even kill you or a family member”. There is no such body of evidence. He claims herd immunity is a myth and vaccines cause cancer.

Raw food expert David Wolfe has also been quoted as saying the earth is flat.

On Friday, the Inner West Council cancelled David Wolfe’s “Raw Cacao Dance Party” which was to be held at Marrickville town hall on Saturday night, because his antivaccine views contravened the council’s own monthly immunisation clinics.

“Council decided to cancel the event after numerous complaints from residents and local Member of Parliament, Jo Haylen.

“Council should have been forewarned about Mr Wolfe's attendance by the event organisers,” Administrator of Inner West Council Richard Pearson said.

Summer Hill MP Jo Haylen.

Wolfe’s talk in the Inner West has been cancelled.

“It is clear that our community feels extremely strongly about Mr Wolfe and his highly unconventional views, particularly around the issue of vaccinations. They have made it clear that they feel hosting Mr Wolfe in a Council-owned venue is a validation and endorsement of his anti-immunisation stance,” Mr Pearson said

Some of the major sponsors of the current Australian tour, which includes this weekend’s $440 seminar held at Sydney’s International Convention Centre, are alternative health advocates with anti-vaccine views. The main sponsor, Superfeast, an online herbal supplement company based in Byron Bay, is owned by Mason Taylor who calls David Wolfe ‘my mentor’. Mr Taylor calls himself a “health mentor” and “thought leader” and runs health retreats. He has publicly criticised campaigns like No Jab No Pay. “Mothers are thinking maybe there is another way to protect my child rather than inject them with a chemical cocktail,” and has suggested that the medicinal mushroom reishi has been shown to be just as effective ‘there should be a no reishi no play campaign’.

Mr Mason and his partner Tahnee McCrossin defended Mr Wolfe, saying he was “not antivaccine but pro-education”.

“This event is purely about nutrition, we have not mentioned vaccination, not a single mention of the ‘v’ word,” Ms McCrossin said. “We believe people should educate and inform themselves, we are not pro-vaccination, be believe in education.” Mr Mason said there was “solid scientific evidence that what we sell, the medicinal mushrooms” can build up the immune system. “We don’t have an anti or pro vaccine stance, we just want to have the conversation.” Ms McCrossin posted a defence of the Wolfe event on immunisation campaigner Catherine Hughes’s Facebook for her late son Light for Riley. Four-week-old baby Riley who died of whooping cough complications two years ago. “They are bringing over someone with a dangerous message under the guise of being a health expert which is fraudulent at best and dangerous to the public at worst,” Ms Hughes said.

Another sponsor, One Group, a supplement and organic skin care company called Miessence is run by anti-vaccine activist Narelle Chenery who was president of the Vaccine Information Service. She has given out advice online for treating children with whooping cough with a herbal tea and rescue remedy.

Narelle Chenery runs a group that has sponsored the anti-vaxxer’s tour. Picture: Regi Varghese

“Rescue Remedy can be used liberally for both parents and child.”

“That is just crazy and could kill a child if someone decided to treat their child with that instead of going to the doctor,” Ms Hughes said. Ms Chenery said the sponsorship package was by invite only from Superfeast’s Mason Taylor.

“We were invited to sponsor the tour, he thought we were of the same integrity and people who are attracted to David Wolfe are of the same tribe,” Ms Chenery said.

Ms Chenery said there was ‘no body of science that proves vaccines are safe’.

Concerns raised by parents and health authorities about the anti-vaccine message Wolfe may spread during his time in Australia have been compounded by the fact sponsors have an anti-vaccination agenda.

Opposition Health Spokesman Walt Secord said Wolfe had “a vicious opposition to life saving vaccinations” and spread lies linking vaccines to autism and cancer.

“We can express our concern if he is holding this seminar in a tax payer funded facility,” Mr Secord said.

NSW Opposition Health spokesman Walt Secord.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard would not comment on Mr Wolfe’s appearances.

Samantha Glass, spokeswoman for the ICC said their client, Health Activation Events “assured ICC Sydney that the content of this weekend's event is specific to nutrition and healthy foods. They have confirmed that David Wolfe is not here to, and was never going to, discuss the topic of vaccination.

She said “the venue manager recognises the diverse views and beliefs of the community in which it operates, however it is not its role to determine which of those views can or cannot be represented at events at ICC Sydney unless safety or legality is compromised.” Last week the Sunday Telegraph reported that the host of the David Wolfe seminar in Byron Bay on March 14, Jing Organics story owner Adam Kingsley, said he “hoped Wolfe would spread the anti-vaccine message” in the shire because he was antivaccine. The Byron Shire has the lowest vaccination rates in the country with only that is renounced for its low vaccination rates.