Three doctors investigated over getting children exempt from compulsory vaccinations

THE Victorian government has slammed an underground network of anti-vax doctors and said they must be stopped.

THE Victorian government has slammed an underground network of anti-vax doctors and said they must be stopped.

Dr John Piesse has been filmed speaking at a Melbourne anti-vaccination rally about how he gets children exemptions from compulsory vaccinations.

The Herald Sun reports he is one of three Melbourne doctors being investigated by the Victorian Health Department and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

But acting Health Minister Martin Foley said it was “not good enough” that Dr Piesse was still being investigated after concerns were raised about him in August 2016.

“It is deeply disappointing and concerning that after twelve months an investigation into Dr Piesse’s practice has not yet been concluded by AHPRA,” Mr Foley said on Thursday.

“By failing to vaccinate their children, parents are putting their kids and others in our community at risk of terrible diseases or death.

“Practitioners who pedal lies and misinformation about immunisation are a menace and put the health and safety of children at great risk — they must be stopped.”

In a video from an anti-vaccination event published by the Herald Sun, Dr Piesse explains how he tries to beat the “no jab no play laws”.

Anti-vax doctors are being investigated.

From January 1 2016, a new law was passed prohibiting the enrolment of unvaccinated children in Victorian childcare centres unless they had a medical exemption.

“I am a doctor who has been working hard for 18 months to try and help parents get exemption from ‘vaccinated pain for vaccinated play’, with mixed success,” he said.

“You need a doctor’s letter of contrary indication in the right form, provided the doctor has got the qualifications required for ‘no vax no pay’, or is a registered medical practitioner for ‘no vax no play’.”

Acting Health Minister Martin Foley slammed anti-vax doctors. Picture: AAP Image/Mal Fairclough

Melbourne surgeon and vaccination advocate Dr John Cunningham said some doctors had fallen into a “cult of fallacies and misinformation”.

“What I believe these doctors are doing is signing a form saying these children have a medical contraindication to vaccination ... which is very rare to have,” he told 3AW.

“This is cult-think.”

Dr Piesse was under investigation a year ago for attempting to help patients avoid immunisations.

He labelled the medical watchdog advocating for immunisations “the Taliban” and believed the medical profession had a lack of proof when it came to the safety of vaccinations.

The Herald Sun reported the Department of Health red flagged Dr Piesse after he applied to be exempt from performing compulsory immunisations. He claimed the vaccinations would be damaging to his patients’ health.

Dr John Piesse caught on video talking about giving children exemptions from compulsory vaccinations. Picture: Nicole Gamston

Last year AHPRA was concerned he was misleading the public on health issues and were reviewing the allegations.

At the time Dr Piesse told the Herald Sun he was not aware of the investigation.

“It was to be expected. Anyone who doesn't think the way AHPRA does is likely to get attacked,” Dr Piesse said.

“There is so much emotion and so much hate towards anyone who doesn’t hold on to the true religious line of the profession.

“As far as I can see there is no proper scientific proof of safety in the usual form that is required by the profession.

“The controlled trial could be done if you wanted to rigorously compare vaccinated to unvaccinated children, but ... they are basically pushing unproven vaccines and the governments advise their doctors to market them as well.”

AHPRA said medical practitioners had a responsibility to promote health through disease prevention and control, education and screening.

READ MORE: WORLD'S NO. 1 ANTI-VAXXER DENIED ENTRY TO AUSTRALIA

— with AAP