Media Release

Babies at risk from worthless vaccines

May 10, 2005

For Immediate Release - Sydney, May 10, 2005

Babies at risk from worthless vaccines

Deliberately killing or harming people is a crime. Deliberately killing or harming children is a crime with an added moral repugnance that makes it seem even worse. Allowing children to die or be harmed through neglect or negligence is also wrong and is also a crime.

Few rational people would disagree with the above statements, but what happens if the perpetrator of the neglect or negligence also claims to have expertise in the healthcare of babies and children? That question should be put to the Australian Homeopathic Association Inc.

At their booth at a recent Parents Babies and Children's Expo in Sydney, representatives of this homeopathic association were advising parents not to use vaccines that have proven track records in preventing life-threatening or debilitating illnesses, but to rely instead on "homeopathic vaccines" that have no such record. People relying on such specious claims to protect their children from contracting measles, pertussis, diphtheria, polio and a wide range of other preventable diseases are being negligent but those offering such advice are surely much worse.

"All the evidence tells us that homeopathy has no value as a treatment" said Australian Skeptics president, Richard Saunders, "but putting children's health at risk in this way adds a new and frightening dimension to a discredited treatment".

Homeopathy, which was conceived in the 19th Century, was founded on two principles that later research has shown to be baseless. Proponents claim for it that it "has no side effects", which is probably true, given that it has no effects whatever - it is harmless because it is worthless. It appears to work when applied to self limiting ailments - colds, aches and pains, etc - which would have run their course anyway, but this does not apply to preventative treatments for very serious diseases.

The question to the Australian Homeopathic Association Inc. is: "Do you endorse the dangerous advice offered publicly by your members?"

For more information - www.skeptics.com.au

Barry Williams, C.E.O. Australian Skeptics - 02 9417-2071