Anti-vaccine film sparks debate about Halifax’s policy on booking venues

A world-renowned professor on immunization is criticizing the Halifax Regional Municipality’s policy on renting venues ahead of a screening of an anti-vaccination film.

Dr. Noni MacDonald, a professor of pediatrics at Dalhousie University, said the screening of Vaxxed II spreads misinformation harmful to children’s health.

“If somebody was coming in to present for kids a pro-alcohol or pro-tobacco video, would we rent out to them?” said MacDonald, an adviser on immunization to the World Health Organization. “Why is anti-vax different from pro-alcohol and pro-tobacco?”

A group called CFVC is scheduled to screen the film Friday at the LeBrun Recreation Centre, a municipal building in Bedford.

To book a venue, groups fill out various forms and pay a rental fee. The rental is allowed as long as it doesn’t discriminate against groups protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms or the Nova Scotia Human Rights Act.

“The municipality does not have a policy on individuals, groups or organizations that can or cannot book in our facilities, unless they offend the principles set out in the Canadian Charter Rights or Nova Scotia Human Rights Act,” an HRM spokesperson said in an email to The Signal.

Since the event doesn’t target any group, CFVC is permitted to book the venue under current HRM policies.

MacDonald believes HRM’s decision to allow the screening violates parts of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

“I think Halifax council is looking at this from the wrong way,” said MacDonald.

Article 17 of the convention says a state should promote information with the purpose of improving a child’s physical and mental health, while Article 24 says a state should “recognize the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health.”

Tim Outhit, councillor for Bedford-Wentworth, took to social media last week to express his concerns about the screening. In a tweet, he questioned HRM’s decision not to cancel the event.

HRM Rec staff says they cannot cancel the contract. I disagree and I am discussing within HRM Legal. They also want to hold sessions in other areas at other HRM facilities!

— Tim Outhit (@TimOuthit) January 21, 2020

Outhit said he would like to see some amendments to HRM’s policy for booking venues.

“I’m all in favour of us improving things. There’s a fine line between censorship and trying to prevent harm and damage. The lawyers would have to look at this, but right now the contract only deals with the Charter and Human Rights Act,” Outhit said in an interview.

CFVC couldn’t be reached for a comment.

Spreading misinformation

MacDonald said films like Vaxxed II undermine the work of health researchers by seeding doubt.

“Five to 10 minutes of listening to this kind of stuff and it can change your intention to vaccinate,” said MacDonald. “It undermines the other information that you’ve been hearing. If you’re not told and explained and shown that they are trying to con you, you start to believe in this.”

MacDonald said the leaders of the anti-vaxxer movement are often trying to turn a profit. She pointed to an investigation by the Guardian that found some anti-vaxxer Facebook groups were selling vitamins to their followers. A ticket for Vaxxed II costs $17.89.

“We need to point out the ones that are making money, and for their followers we need to help them understand how they are being bamboozled,” said MacDonald.

‘Harm and stigma’

Alex Kronstein, chapter leader of Autistics United Nova Scotia, is organizing a protest for the night of the screening. He’s worried the film may lead to outbreaks of disease, but he’s also concerned with the language that anti-vaxxers use when talking about people with autism.

“These anti-vaccine views have brought a lot of harm and stigma to autistic people because it leads people to see autism as something to fear and to look at autistic people as damaged,” said Kronstein.

He thinks HRM should amend its policy for booking facilities.

“Maybe we should be setting the bar higher than not inciting violence or hatred, to include a rule against hosting these kinds of movie screenings at a time when we are getting outbreaks of all these contagious preventable diseases,” said Kronstein.

Join the conversation

1. m

   margreet van den Berg

   Jan 29, 2020 | 12:00AM
   It is kind of surprising that the media promotes and allows space for people who want to stop freedom of speech. And on top of that: both Ms McDonald and Alex Kronstein have not seen the movie: so they do not even know what they are talking about. And neither does this media outlet. Maybe Signal Halifax can buy two movie tickets for these people that Signal provide space to restrict freedom of speech, and then let them go and see the movie. And maybe Nick Cantar, you should go to.

2. M

   Margreet van den Berg

   Jan 29, 2020 | 12:00AM
   Mrs Noni MacDonald should go and see the movie, And then be willing to answer questions of the audience. Keeping one's blinders on, does not help anybody. Ms MacDonald is also know for MISINFORMING citizens who ask questions. She did this at the Liberal Senator Caucus meeting in April 2019. It was about whether aborted fetuses were used for the development of the MMR vaccines. She said this was not correct. That is untrue, and she either knows it, or is terribly misinformed. What is worse for a so-called renowned Professor? Lying or not being well-informed. This is bad marketing for Dalhousie.

3. A

   Agi

   Jan 29, 2020 | 12:00AM
   Maybe Dr. MacDonald should watch the documentary before criticizing it? You know before assuming the contents in it? I love the making money criticism. Because Big Pharma makes no profit off of vaccines right? Has Kronstein met a severely autistic child before? Not being able to communicate is a sign of damage, not being toilet trained at an appropriate age is a sign of damage, being violent because you can't communicate/process life around you is a sign of damage. List goes on and on. Can you blame loving parents from wanting their child to have good health and a normal life?

4. E

   Erin

   Jan 29, 2020 | 12:00AM
   Change the policies and we show it out of our homes nightly by invitation only. We are so sick of our children being harmed, with no repercussion to anyone and the financial burden falling on the parent. Why is Quebec the only province to have any compensation and also the province with the least amount on the schedual? If they work the way they work and herd immunity is such a strong selling point then they should be the same province to province, and as far as I am concerned country to country. Thankfully not all diseases/illnesses work or act the same way. Yellow fever or Typhoid for example. Which I can see not crossing borders and being communicable. Seriously though, how stupid do you think we are? Injury is not 1 in a million. That phrase is specifically coined up to make society feel like it's so unlikely. Your chance of winning the lottery 1 in a million. That was a 1 in a million goal. They might as well of said injury is 1 in a trillion. Vaccines can and do injure, at a much higher occurrence then the masses know. Stop trying to hide it, secret is out. Stop trying to invalidate experiences had by others. That's extremely inhumane. Stop trying to add to censorship which in the end will hurt us all. Do you forget history all ready. Remember they burned books over much less to censor the population. Big pharma makes 3 x more then gas and oil industry. The have also waged war in countries for less gain. Your just asking for war the more you censor invalidate and belittle us. Let me tell you its ON.

5. L

   Lynne Campbell

   Jan 29, 2020 | 12:00AM
   This would be censorship and I believe Canada is a free country and the people of Canada are a free people able to make up their own minds on this subject. I also see you complaining that they charge $17.89 for admittance. Why shouldn’t they? I didn’t realize movies were now free and the people making them don’t get paid.