Australian Medical Association president Michael Gannon has hit out at Pauline Hanson, accusing her of endangering lives with her comments about vaccinations.
The One Nation leader ruffled feathers at the weekend when she said the government’s No Jab, No Pay policy is only fit for a dictatorship and prompted parents to do their own research into vaccinations.
Gannon told ABC’s The World Today it was time for Hanson to quit making “ludicrous” statements.
“She needs to realise that she’s a serious player in Australian politics now,” he said.
“You know, with 8, 9, 10 per cent of Australians indicating an intention to vote for One Nation, she can no longer make fringe statements that are dangerous to the health of the whole community.
“Well, we know in medical science that we’re never going to reach that 1 or 2 per cent of rusted-on flat earthers who don’t accept the science of vaccination. But what we worry about a lot about is that about 8 per cent of the population are so-called vaccine-hesitant, and they’re looking for any information that might lead them away from what is, with the exception of clean water, probably the most significant health measure we’ve got.
“It is absolutely essential that we have accurate information, and this fatuous idea that parents can spend half an hour on Wikipedia and come to a greater understanding of the issues than their doctor and the accumulated wisdom of all the world’s medical scientists is ludicrous.”
Hanson has since backtracked slightly on her comments, admitting her own children had been vaccinated and saying people should “talk to their doctor”.
“I’m not saying to people don’t get your children vaccinated,” she told 6PR radio.
“I’m not a medical professional. I had my children vaccinated, I never told my children not to get their children vaccinated.
“If that’s what the doctor tells them – that they need to have the vaccination done – that’s up to the person. Go and talk to your doctor.”