Support Freedom of Speech - Skeptic supporters try to get our Perth Seminar Cancelled

As we announced last week, the AVN has been able to reschedule our seminar in Perth for next Tuesday, the 1st of June. (Please see details below).

As we feared, the supporters of the Australian Skeptics have gone a bit ballistic and are starting a campaign to get this event cancelled.

Even though the venue has assured us that they will not cancel this seminar, I feel it may be prudent to show them that we really do care about freedom of speech and freedom of communication.

If you believe that this event must be allowed to take place, may I urge you please to send a quick email (it doesn't need to be more than a couple of sentences unless you are so moved to send more) to:

Mrs Margaret Allen, CEO and State Librarian The State Library of WA

Her email address is margaret.allen@slwa.wa.gov.au

If you could please copy me in on your letters, that would be great. My email is meryl@avn.org.au

If you were booked into the last seminar that got cancelled or have booked for this one, please be sure to mention that. Also say if the AVN has  helped you to make your decision or supported you in any way.

You do NOT need to be in WA to write - please just write if you feel that informed choice is a fit and proper goal for any democratic society.

Thanks so much, Meryl

Flu vaccines and informed choice

In Australia, childhood vaccines are not compulsory nor can parents lose any government entitlements if they choose not to vaccinate or to vaccinate selectively. Many parents feel great pressure and fear around this issue however and would like more information about what their choices are in relation to keeping their families healthy. To learn more about the actual risks of both diseases and the vaccines intended to prevent them, come along to this informative evening sponsored by the AVN.

Should Australian children be immunized for Influenza - what are the risks? In Australia, the influenza vaccine has been promoted free to persons 65 years and older for nearly ten years. In 2008 the Western Australian Government promoted the influenza vaccine free to children from 6 months of age to 5 years. The government encouraged parents to vaccinate their children. This talk examines the risk of flu to children, the effectiveness of the vaccine and the additional risks to children's health of adding another vaccine to the childhood schedule. A schedule which now includes 12 vaccines before 12 months of age.

Judy Wilyman - PhD Researcher Murdoch University

Flu vaccines - nothing to sneeze about

To date, more than 300 serious reactions to the current seasonal flu shot have been reported in children under the age of 5 with one child known to have died within hours of being vaccinated. All the indications are that this figure grossly underestimates the actual number of reactions. In her talk, Meryl Dorey will discuss how vaccines are intended to work and why it is that they often don't. She will talk about the known side effects of childhood and adult shots and reveal that according to the Australian government, as few as 1% of vaccine reactions ever get reported, leading to a belief that they are perfectly safe.

Meryl Dorey - Media Spokesperson for the Australian Vaccination Network and Editor of Living Wisdom magazine.

This seminar is for anyone who is concerned about their child's health. If you have heard about the recent upsurge in childhood allergies, asthma, eczema, autism and behavioural problems and want to know how vaccines are associated with these conditions in the medical literature, please come along.

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Date Tuesday, June 1st 2010

Venue State Library of Western Australia, Alexander Library Building, Perth Cultural Centre, 25 Francis Street, Perth (seating is extremely limited so pre-booking is recommended)

Time 6:30 PM for a 7:00 PM start

Cost $10 per person / $15 for two _________________________________________ Information will be available on the evening.