Is Woodford Folk Festival a danger to public health?

It’s been announced that once again, the Woodford Folk Festival will be giving the “Australian Vaccination Network” a platform from which to speak in 2012. This angers me greatly: antivaccination activists deny that vaccines can do any good for humanity, cherry-pick from research to “prove” their thesis, harrass grieving parents of children who died from preventable diseases, and fraudulently claim to offer health advice.

Sadly, the Queensland Government and Moreton Bay Regional Council are sponsoring the event. I say “sadly” because both bodies have policies regarding non-vaccination, have concerns for the public good (via maintenance of public health), and their involvement in this event gives legitimacy to the anti crowd.Just as frustrating is the sponsorship of Triple J and the ABC’s Sunshine Coast station.

Here is a copy of the complaint I just submitted to the Queensland Government regarding the sponsorship of the Woodford Folk Festival:

The Woodford Folk Festival is giving antivaccination activists a platform to spout their murderous ideology.Since the Queensland Government is sponsoring this event, the festival is sending a message that “it must be ok to not vaccinate, because they wouldn’t sponsor the festival if they didn’t agree with Meryl Dorey.” As a citizen with a very high regard for the work of our state and nation’s scientists who have worked tirelessly for many years to advance vaccine science (as well as the benefits of our public health system) I am _disgusted_ that the Queensland Government continues to sponsor this event.It is my contention that the Festival’s ongoing support for antivaccinationists makes it a public health hazard.

I will be sending similar complaints to the Moreton Bay Regional Council, TripleJ and the ABC, as well as the festival’s other major sponsor, Santos

So how could a festival be a danger to public health? Simple: by continuing to provide a platform and seeming legitimacy to a group whose ideology (which, let us remember, is not based on objective research or facts) is diametrically opposed to the benefits which medical research have brought in the last ~100 years.