GB News’ Neil Oliver slammed over ‘anti-scientific, dangerous’ anti-vaxx tweet

GB News has tweeted a story by Neil Oliver in which he says giving Covid jabs to children is 'grotesque'.

A photo of a vaccination needle

GB News has been slammed for tweeting a story in which Neil Oliver says giving Covid jabs to children is “grotesque” – and it has since been flagged by Twitter as “misleading”

After sharing the story, written on the GB news website, a warning sign appeared on the tweet which reads “this Tweet is misleading. Learn why healthy officials recommend a vaccine for most people”.

The story was published on Saturday (July 3), was written by Neil Oliver, and contains a video of him talking about Covid vaccines.

Oliver wrote: “The apparent justification is that children may spread the virus and that by vaccinating them such risk is curtailed – that risk being primarily towards adults. But what of the risk to the children in receipt of a vaccine.”

He continued: “These vaccines are a choice for adults. Take them or don’t – that is the stuff of a private and personal choice in an erstwhile free society. But leave the children alone. Leave the children alone.”

Hundreds of people flooded into the comments underneath GB New’s tweet of the story, sharing their concern about the view expressed.

One person said: “No. This is anti-scientific dangerous nonsense”

Someone else said: “Neil Oliver’s qualification is in archaeology.

“He has no specialist knowledge in vaccines or viruses.”

Journalist Ian Fraser then shared a screenshot of the tweet after it was flagged by Twitter.

He wrote: “Anti-vax tweet from GB News featuring anti-scientific diatribe from Neil Oliver labelled as misleading by @Twitter

“I guess this was the problem with Neil Oliver’s diatribe? In reality, some children are getting severely ill from #COVIDー19’s ’Delta’ variant.

“There’s also the small matter of the virus continuing to mutate, and having unknown long-term consequences.”

The news comes as concerns rise over what rule changes the Prime Minister will be announcing today during a press conference on July 19.

‘Freedom Day’, when all restrictions will be lifted, was delayed on June 21 due to rising coronavirus case numbers. With suggestions that masks and social distancing will be scrapped in two weeks, many are wondering how the end of lockdown will unfold.

Lucy Skoulding is a journalist and human rights student. You can follow her on Twitter here.

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