US anti-vaccination activist denied Australian visa

Canberra Aug 31 (IANS) A US author who bills himself as the "world s number one anti-vaxxer" has been denied a visa to enter Australia for a speaking tour a minister announced on Thursday.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said that anti-vaccination advocate Kent Heckenlively was refused an entry visa under Section 501 of the migration act which allows the government to refuse or cancel a visa of someone based on their character reports Xinhua news agency.

Heckenlively had planned to visit Australia to call for a five-year moratorium on childhood vaccinations.

Dutton said Australia was strongly pro-vaccination and had introduced a "no jab no pay" policy whereby new parents are cut off from child welfare payments unless their children are vaccinated.

"These people who are telling parents their kids shouldn t be vaccinated are dangerous people and we have been very clear in having a look right through this particular case and it is clear to me that it is not in our national interest that he should come here " the minister said.

Last month Australia banned anti-vaccination campaigners Polly Tommey from Britain and Suzanne Humphreys from the US from entering Australia for three years.

They had claimed a link between a vaccine and autism an idea which has been overwhelmingly discredited by science.

--IANS
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