MKR star Pete Evans should just admit it: he’s anti-vax
If My Kitchen Rules star Pete Evans is “not anti-vax”, as Channel 7 says, why does he pose for adoring selfies with anti-vaxxers, like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., asks Jane Hansen.
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Pete Evans might as well just come out and say he is an anti-vaxxer, because that is exactly what message you send when you post a picture on social media with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and cite ‘the important work he is doing’ complete with a love heart emoji.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the founder of Children’s Health Defence. He is not just an anti-vaxxer — Children’s Health Defence funds a large chunk of anti-vax advertisements and misinformation on Facebook.
Despite the notion that anti-vaxxers are just a handful of loops banging on about the big pharma conspiracy to jab kids to harm them rather than protect them, a nonsense in itself, Kennedy has access to money and influence.
As the nephew of US President John F. Kennedy, and the son of his fellow politician brother Robert F. Kennedy, he is one of the most prominent figures in the anti-vaccine movement in America. He is also one of the main contributors to the conspiracy ‘shockumentary’ Vaxxed II, which perpetuates the myth of the autism MMR link.
Pete hasn’t said what his position is. Yet a spokeswoman for the Seven Network defended the star.
“Pete is not anti-vaxx. His position on this, and more generally, is to further his own education on all topics regarding health,” she said.
But I think Evans has been edging closer to coming out on his vaccination stance for a while now. He rails against fluoride (anti-fluoride and anti-vax are very comfortably bed fellows in their rejection of science). He is mates with David Avocado Wolfe, a well known anti-vaxxer, and last March he shared a podcast by Paul Chek to his 1.5 million followers which criticised vaccines.
“One of the most important podcasts to listen to. “Thanks @paul.chek for asking the questions that need to be asked about vaccines and medicine,” he posted.
Chek is a well-known anti-vaxxer and his podcast was with Sherri Tenpenny, one of America’s most prominent anti-vaxxers.
MORE FROM JANE HANSEN: Aussie health experts in Samoa: Measles epidemic ‘like a war zone’
Now the judge on Channel 7 reality series My Kitchen Rules, which provides him with a huge public platform, is singing Kennedy’s praises. The message is not lost on his followers who took to congratulating him for coming out on the issue.
“You are one blessed person. I so admire his courage. Good on you both for not being scared to speak up” said one. “This is so awesome to see you two, on working together to voice the protests of safety of vaccines”, said another. “Robert is a remarkable advocate for choice and people’s rights and speaks the truth about all this vaccine madness. Great to see you hanging out with an incredible man who speaks the truth.”
What is totally disgraceful about this tone deaf post by Evans is that one of our closest neighbours is still in the grip of an ongoing measles epidemic.
To date, Samoa has buried 83 people, and most of them have been children under four. These were children who all died because they were not vaccinated against one of the world’s most infectious diseases. How utterly indulgent for a first world celebrity to support the anti-vax movement when such a clear example of the risks of not vaccinating is literally on our doorstep.
What is happening in Samoa is what science and history have taught over millennia – without an effective vaccination program, children die of measles.
Measles can cause pneumonia or encephalitis (brain swelling). It will kill one in 1000 but, in countries with inadequate health care, the death rate is as high as one in 10. Measles is making a comeback all over the world thanks to the anti-vaccine movement.
Samoa’s vaccination rate in October last year, when the epidemic began, was around 31 per cent, down from around 70 per cent in 2016.
In June 2018, two babies died after receiving a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine that had been mistakenly mixed with an expired muscle relaxant, instead of water.
Both nurses pleaded guilty and are currently serving time for manslaughter.
MORE: How many lives will it take for anti-vaxxers to give up?
The tragic mistake resulted in the temporary suspension of the country’s immunisation program and undermined trust in the vaccine program, but not without the help of anti-vaxxers.
Kennedy even visited Samoa shortly before the outbreak, and, in the middle of the outbreak in November, he sent a letter to Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegao encouraging officials to examine the MMR vaccine.
Samoa has ignored them, thank god. To date 5,697 measles cases have been reported since the outbreak started. The urgent response has brought vaccination levels to over 93 per cent and, just as science would predict, this has slowed the epidemic. There have only been two fatalities in the last week, compared to two a day at the height of the national tragedy.
For anyone, even a chef with no medical background, to not see what is at stake by undermining confidence in vaccination, is truly mind-boggling.
I’m not sure how comfortable the Seven Network should be continuing to give Evans a public platform when he keeps such dodgy company.
Jane Hansen is a journalist with The Sunday Telegraph.
Originally published as MKR star Pete Evans should just admit it: he’s anti-vax
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