Toronto health authorities go after Jenny McCarthy on social media calling her anti-vaccine views ‘misinformation’
Got to the Toronto Public Health Facebook page and you’ll find the following post yesterday: “Jenny McCarthy’s anti-vaccine views = misinformation. Please visit The View TV Facebook page and ask them to change their mind”.
The city’s public health officials said concerning the former Playboy playmate and future (starting Sept. 9) The View co-host “It’s irresponsible to provide her with (The View) platform,” via the official Twitter account.
This prompted associate medical officer of health Dr. Barbara Yaffe to hold a press conference where she said, “I just want to say to The View that we hope they will ensure that accurate scientific information about vaccination is provided if immunization is discussed on the show.
“The show is viewed across North America, we do see it in Canada, it is a show that is commonly seen by mothers, young parents. I think we are concerned that they may be choosing to advocate against vaccination.
“Our concern is that the correct information — the evidence — is given to parents. That is why we were speaking on it.”
The anti-vaccine movement, which McCarthy subscribes, began in earnesy with the publication of the now discredited Andrew Wakefield autism study in The Lancet.
The Star reports, Brian Ward, a professor of infectious diseases and microbiology at McGill University, says it’s a small group of people, including McCarthy, who continue to promote anti-vaccine views.
“The trouble is that someone like Jenny McCarthy, photogenic with the tragic story of a child with autism, can reach many, many people, especially parents who are watching daytime television,” Ward said.
“That’s precisely the format where she can be phenomenally convincing.”
“Immunization is the most important public health medical intervention in the last 50 years, it has saved more lives than anything else in medicine,” Dr.Yaffe said.
Neither The View nor McCarthy have responded to the Toronto Public Heath’s statements.