Click here to Open this email in your browser. Get a link to share.

Legislation and Lockdown

With so much going on, the newsletter this week is particularly long, so we're putting the full newsletter on the website so you can read further. https://avn.org.au/2020/03/legislation-and-lockdown/

Wow! There are a lot of things happening at the moment. We hope all our members are safe and well and are doing their best to stay calm and happy under such uncertain circumstances.

For those who are feeling a little stressed please watch this video that Meryl Dorey filmed regarding not panicking about the current Covid 19 situation.

Mandatory Vaccines

for Health Workers

We are very sad to announce that the Mandatory Vaccination of Health Care Workers bill was rushed through the Victorian Parliament last week and is now awaiting royal assent (a signature) and it will be law. The Hansard transcripts from the Upper and Lower houses of the Victorian Parliament regarding the legislation are quite disappointing to read. You can read the full transcripts on the website, however this quote from Victorian Health Minister is of particular concern:

The legislation will become law as soon as it is signed, but at this stage will not be implemented until 2021. However, Health Minister Mikakos has indicated that the Flu vaccine mandate may be brought in earlier if possible. 

Studies show that receiving a flu vaccine makes you more susceptible to contracting corona viruses. 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X19313647

https://www.bmj.com/content/368/bmj.m810/rr-0

It seems counterproductive and dangerous to implement a vaccine policy that may increase cases of Covid 19, especially since the Flu vaccine itself has such low efficacy and has known side effects, up to and including death.

Well done to those groups who made the effort to voice their concerns. If more of us did this our voice would be very powerful and could change outcomes. It has to happen. Please keep contacting your Victorian state politicians about this disgraceful loss of bodily autonomy. It doesn’t matter that the legislation has passed. Keep making your concerns heard! 

A mass walkout of health care workers is truly what is needed over this. Civil disobedience is fast becoming an action that will have to be taken.

Mandatory Vaccines

for Aged Care

Last Wednesday Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that from May 1st it will be compulsory for aged care facility workers and aged care visitors to have a Flu vaccine.

The AVN has called and emailed the offices of the Prime Minister, Health Minster and Aged Care Minister. We were told that the Aged Care Portfolio will be responsible for over-seeing this.

We did receive a phone call back from Greg Hunt’s office, however the assistant we talked to couldn’t or wouldn’t provide answers to our questions. We aren’t confident that the Government has even worked out how they are going to enact this new rule.

Will workers who refuse the vaccination have the option of being redeployed elsewhere in the facility or will they lose their job?

This aged care flu vaccine announcement is the first step on a very slippery slope towards mandatory mass vaccination in Australia, not to mention creating additional vulnerability around COVID-19 (see above).

We have been inundated with messages from people very worried about this legislation and we will be following up with Greg Hunt’s office until we get some answers. 

We implore everyone who is concerned about this legislation (and that should be everyone reading this newsletter!) to please write to

Health Minister Hunt [email protected] and

Aged Care Minister Colbeck [email protected] 

and have your voice heard.

COVID-19 Vaccine

I will not sugar coat this. We are now looking down the barrel of a fast tracked Covid 19 vaccine being rolled out in Australia. 

On Monday’s episode of the ABC television program Q and A 

The topic of Covid 19 was discussed by the panel. When asked about a vaccine this is what PROF. PAUL KELLY had to say.

So please be aware that these are the ideas that are being discussed at the top level right now. We may well see mandatory Covid 19 vaccine laws in the future.

A fast-tracked vaccine may be available in 12 months. Some AVN members may be willing to receive that vaccine, but I am sure that everyone would be advocating for the right to choose. Medical procedures, particularly fast-tracked novel vaccines, must remain a choice. 

What now?

I know a lot of people are very emotional right now and very stressed. We need to be looking out for each other and connecting with our community more than ever.

While travel is restricted, I recommend that you meet up virtually, by using zoom or whatever conference calling method you prefer.

Reach out to like-minded people. This is a great time to brainstorm and strategize ways to help inform people about vaccinations and how to advocate for vaccine safety and the freedom to choose. If you come up with some great ideas, please share them with us! [email protected]

I know it may seem like a difficult time to speak up, but a lot of people are actively seeking information at the moment. It is a great time to share information with those who normally are not interested in the vaccine issue. 

We definitely have a timeline of when we can expect vaccine mandates to ramp up, so we need to be doing everything we can NOW to preserve the right to choose. This is not a drill. This is the moment we all need to dig deep and be brave. 

If you are not yet connected with like-minded groups in your area, please contact us and we can put you in touch with your local group leaders. [email protected] 

When travel restrictions are lifted, we will have the Australian Vaxxed bus ready to get on the road. That will be an incredible boost to our community. Please support it however you can.

Remember, you are not alone and there is nothing to fear. We will all help each other through this. 

Special Membership Offer!

This is a limited time offer for all new and renewing members of the AVN!

From now until April 5th, 2020, if you purchase a one-off, annual or gift membership, you (or your gift recipient) will receive a free downloadable pdf of Greg Beattie’s excellent book, Fooling Ourselves on the Fundamental Value of Vaccines!

This is essential reading for anyone investigating the issue of vaccine necessity and answers the question - do vaccines really save lives - once and for all. 

Join or renew but be quick because once this offer is gone, it’s gone!

Click here to sign up. or use the links below

Show up. Speak up. Be brave

Aneeta Hafemeister

Do you want a film screening near you?

We have had many, many people asking us to bring film screenings to their area and, whilst we are happy that you are interested, we also need you to be aware that putting on events such as this are both expensive and a lot of hard work!

Neither of these issues have stopped us before, but we are asking those who would like screenings to please contact us at [email protected] to say what area you live in and how many hours you will be available to help us in organising the event. We also hope that if we do bring the screening (or a seminar) to your area, you will be able to help publicise it amongst your networks to make it as well-attended as possible.

The AVN is a network meaning we need to work together with you - our community - to spread this message as far as possible.

We appreciate your help and commitment.