Deyalsingh: 'Anti-vaxers' propaganda affecting swine flu shots

HEALTH Minister Terrence Deyalsingh has expressed concern that "anti-vaxer" propaganda had spread to TT and was leading to some people not getting H1N1 (swine flu) vaccinations.

He was responding to an urgent question in the Senate yesterday about measures to inform the public, given five confirmed deaths from swine flu.

Deyalsingh reported a number of initiatives via various advertisements and media interviews.

"The major problem is, people ought to know better (than) spreading rumours and propaganda about vaccines," he said.

Deyalsingh urged the public to ignore this propaganda.

Opposition Senator Wade Mark asked why five people had still died, with all these efforts.

Deyalsingh said it was due to the reluctance of people in the two main high-risk groups – pregnant population and healthcare workers – to get vaccinated.

He reported 80,000 people died of swine flu in the US last year, 200 children have died for this year so far, and one of the reasons was the rise of anti-vaxers' propaganda about the risks of vaccines.

He pointed out the TT Medical Association had to issue a release after a University of West Indies (UWI) academic publicly chastised Deyalsingh for getting vaccinated and launching a vaccination campaign, and recalled PAHO and UWI having to dispel all the claims being made by anti-vaxers.

He declared, "I call on the TTMA and the Medical Board that they should no longer be silent on this issue, because the anti-vaxers are discouraging people from getting the vaccines. That is the problem we now face."

He said this propaganda was taking root worldwide and has led to return of measles in the US after claims that the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine causes autism.