SOURCE: Wikipedia, 2020-10-18
This page last modified: 2020-10-19 14:50:06 -0700 (PST)
Vaccine Choice Canada (VCC) is Canada's main anti-vaccination disinformation group. Vaccine Choice Canada was founded in the 1980s under the name Vaccination Risk Awareness Network (VRAN) and adopted its current name in 2014. Vaccine Choice Canada has been contributing to vaccine hesitancy in Canada, encouraging citizens to forego immunization and legislators to support anti-vaccine regulations and legislation. [See also: herd immunity.]
Vaccine Choice Canada (VCC) spreads the discredited hypothesis that vaccination causes autism, and denies that the introduction of vaccines led to a decline of the targeted diseases. They blame vaccination for a variety of ailments, including autism spectrum disorders, learning disabilities, ADHD, allergies, and asthma.
Vaccine Choice Canada argues a vaccine against COVID-19 [SARS-CoV-2] is unnecessary. Late in the pandemic, it still repeated the discredited myth that the pandemic is no more severe than the flu.
Although a small fraction of vaccine doses provoke serious adverse reactions, health professionals agree the benefits of being protected against a wide range of infectious diseases far outweigh the risks. Responding directly to communications from Vaccine Choice Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada stated that the science on vaccines is unequivocal, but laments the actions of "a small but vocal anti-vaccination community that spreads false information. They use powerful emotional images and misinformation with their message. This creates confusion and fear for parents who are trying to make the best decisions for the health and wellbeing of their children." Timothy Caulfield estimates the proportion of Canadians who exhibit vaccine hesitancy between 20 and 30 percent, connecting the anti-vaccination movement to a rise in populism and a mistrust in expertise.
The World Health Organization has identified vaccine hesitancy as one of 2019's ten global health threats to watch.
Similarly to many anti-vaccination groups, Vaccine Choice Canada is opposing several measures instituted by public health authorities to limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its President repeated some of the most widespread myths about the virus, including that it's no more dangerous than influenza and that developing a vaccine is therefore unnecessary. Influenza is actually responsible for 3,500 deaths in a typical year, while the death toll of four months of COVID-19 already exceeded 8,000 at that point. Jonathan Jarry from the Office for Science and Society warned that with anti-vaccination groups misrepresenting legitimate concerns about rushing vaccines into production as anti-vaccine arguments, "we have the beginnings of a perfect storm on our hands to fuel vaccine misinformation". Vaccine Choice Canada partnered the [2020] newly-created group "Hugs Over Masks," a group protesting against mandatory mask-wearing.
With Denis Rancourt and others, Vaccine Choice Canada tabled a lawsuit against most Canadian governments, seeking to have the courts strike down measures mandated by public health authorities, including regulations introducing the obligation to wear masks in interior public spaces that several provinces adopted. The lawsuit, filed in July 2020 by lawyer Rocco Galati with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, alleges lock downs, physical distancing and mandatory masking violate the constitutional rights of Canadians. It also makes wider claims about a "New (Economic) World Order" and a "massive and concentrated push for mandatory vaccines of every human on the planet earth with concurrent electronic surveillance" at the behest of "global Billionaire, Corporate and Organizational Oligarchs", which refer to conspiracy theories widely shared on social media by a variety of fringe groups. The lawsuit also names the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, accusing the information network of a "Stalinist" campaign to hide the truth about public health measures.
Vaccine Choice Canada reaches the Canadian public mainline through the internet, with its website and social media channels. However, it has recently experimented with other forms of public outreach.
In February 2019, Vaccine Choice bought space on 50 billboards in the Toronto area to broadcast anti-vaccine messages, such as one inviting parents to learn how to get around the obligation to vaccinate children in order to have them attend public schools. The messages displayed on the billboards were characterized as "half-truths" by Toronto's Associate Medical Officer of Health. The campaign was discontinued by Outfront Media after a request from Toronto City Council. The campaign was denounced by Ontario health Minister Christine Elliott, who encouraged Ontarians to get inoculated.
In August 2019, Vaccine Choice Canada admitted it had paid the expenses of American anti-vaccination activists coming to participate in parliamentary committee hearings on vaccine exemptions for school children in New Brunswick, including physician Bob Sears. During the hearings, VCC spokesperson Ted Kuntz indicated Vaccine Choice Canada intended to take the province's government to court if it decided to eliminate non-medical exemptions. New Brunswick's Education Minister Dominic Cardy denounced the conspiracy theories presented by the witnesses: "If you believe in evidence-based decision-making, you have to look at the evidence, and the evidence is incontrovertible."
Also in early 2019, Vaccine Choice wrote to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to oppose upcoming changes that would make anti-vaccine messages less likely to be propagated by the social media platform, such as not sharing them as automatic recommendations. Speaking for VCC, Ted Kuntz equated these proposed changes in programming with censorship. A representative of Vaccine Choice Canada also participated to a panel of anti-vaccination activists in Toronto, in April 2019.
In October 2019, Vaccine Choice Canada held a rally in Toronto in support of a court case the group launched jointly with five parents against Ontario's Immunization of School Pupils Act, which requires that pupils must have received certain vaccines to attend the public school system. While legal experts believe the court challenge is unlikely to be successful, President of the Ontario Medical Association Sohail Gandhi is concerned the increased visibility gained by the group may result in more disinformation about vaccines being disseminated in the public.
Vaccine Choice issued "Adding Insult To Injury Awards" in 2016 and 2017 to media outlets that produced news reports it disliked. The host of one program was thus targeted, The Sunday Edition's Michael Enright, sarcastically accepted the award with pride, on behalf of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He took the opportunity to talk about pediatrician Peter Hotez's warning that anti-vaccine campaigns will lead to serious outbreaks of measles. The segment of the program VCC was reacting to was an interview with Brendan Nyhan about the "backfire effect".
SOURCE: BuriedTruth.com, 2020-10-18
This page last modified: 2020-10-19 14:50:06 -0700 (PST)
[FreshDaily.ca, 2020-09-08] Here's what you need to know about the "Hugs Over Masks" groups in Canada. | local copy (html, captured 2020-10-19)
Who are Hugs Over Masks associated with?
Hugs Over Masks is affiliated with one of the country's largest anti-vaccine organizations, Vaccine Choice Canada. A look at the anti-vaccine group's social media shows their opposition to a COVID-19 vaccine as well as masks and social distancing.
Lawyer John Carpay, President of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms. John Carpay is the author of this tripe, on the disinformation "news" source The Post Millennial.
[thePostMillennial.com, 2020-07-25] Making face masks mandatory is not backed by science or law -- reposted here [local copy (html, captured 2020-10-19)] on the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms website.
Vladislav Sobolev told CBC that Sherri Tenpenny, a U.S. anti-vaccination advocate, is providing online training to his group, "Hugs Over Masks." According to a writer who joined the "Hugs Over Masks" Facebook group, people must answer a series of questions to be accepted, and one of those questions is whether you believe vaccines should be mandatory.
[Castanet.net, 2020-08-31] Anti-masker fires back. 'Not afraid of second wave because we never had first one' -- Hugs Over Masks founder [Vladislav Sobolev]. | local copy (html, captured 2020-10-19)
[reference] Conspiracy Theories: COVID-19 Anti-Mask Protests
[bc.CTVNews.ca, 2020-10-17] Anti-mask protesters, conspiracy theorists march through downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
[2020-09-21] William B. Crews: NIH staffer to retire after he was exposed as the blogger behind anti-Fauci, anti-mask stories
[2020-09-21] A Notorious COVID Troll Actually Works for Dr. Fauci's Agency. Bill Crews is a PR official at the National Institutes of Health. But he also has another job: An anonymous RedState editor who rails against the agency for which he works.
[bc.CTVNews.ca, 2020-10-17] Anti-mask protesters, conspiracy theorists march through downtown Vancouver.
[Source]
[vancouverisland.CTVNews.ca, 2020-10-17] Anti-mask protesters cause delay on BC Ferries vessel.
[2020-09-21] William B. Crews: NIH staffer to retire after he was exposed as the blogger behind anti-Fauci, anti-mask stories
[2020-09-21] A Notorious COVID Troll Actually Works for Dr. Fauci's Agency. Bill Crews is a PR official at the National Institutes of Health. But he also has another job: An anonymous RedState editor who rails against the agency for which he works.
[bc.CTVNews.ca, 2020-08-09] Doctors, officials frustrated by anti-mask protests across Canada. Members of the group "Hugs Over Masks" gathered in cities across Canada Sunday, including a small group in Surrey. Those in attendance refused to speak to CTV News Vancouver, but the founder of the group who organized a rally in Kitchener, Ont., spoke to CTV News there. Vladislav Sovolad said he wants "to make sure that people actually know the real harm and effects" of wearing masks. ...
[bc.CTVNews.ca, 2020-08-09] Doctors, officials frustrated by anti-mask protests across Canada.
[Source]
[CBC.ca, 2020-07-27] Anti-masking groups draw from anti-vaccination playbook to spread misinformation. Downplaying dangers of COVID-19, taking research out of context are common strategies, experts say.
As more regions across the country adopt mandatory masking policies in an effort to minimize the spread of COVID-19, some anti-masking groups are joining forces with anti-vaccination proponents and adopting their techniques to spread misinformation and amplify their message. The similarities between organized anti-masking and anti-vaccine movements are striking, said Maya Goldenberg, an associate professor of philosophy at the University of Guelph specializing in vaccine hesitancy.
At least one anti-masking group, Hugs Over Masks, actively partners with Vaccine Choice Canada, one of the country's most prominent anti-vaccination organizations. Vladislav Sobolev, the anti-masking group's founder, has repeatedly praised the anti-vaccination group on social media and during protests. Sobolev also told CBC News that high-profile U.S. anti-vaccination advocate Sherri Tenpenny, an osteopath who wrote Saying No To Vaccines, is providing online leadership training to his group.
Sherri Tenpenny, along with other anti-vaccination advocates in the U.S. and Canada, have embraced the anti-masking cause and opposed COVID-19 lockdown measures. ...
[Wikipedia] Sherri Tenpenny
Sherri Tenpenny is an American osteopathic physician and anti-vaccination activist who supports the discredited hypothesis that vaccines cause autism. Sherri Tenpenny is the author of four books opposing vaccination, and her 2015 lecture tour of Australia was cancelled due to a public outcry over her views on vaccination, which go against the established scientific consensus. Sherri Tenpenny has no advanced clinical or research specialization in immunology, vaccinology, or public health, nor has she ever published peer-reviewed research in any area related to vaccines or immunology.
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