A teacher at a prestigious Victorian private school is in trouble after publicly stating she wants to deliberately infect her kids with measles.
The teacher, who works at Geelong Grammar School, wrote on an anti-vaccination Facebook page that she wanted to find someone with the illness to make her own children sick.
She was responding to another person’s post about measles on the Australia: Childcare for Unvaccinated Children Facebook group page.
A member posted: “With the recent measles outbreak near Dandenong, please contact/message me if your children get measles and you are happy to share.”
The teacher, a mother of two, responded with a brief: “Same plz!”
Health Minister says teacher ‘irresponsible’
Victorian Health Minister Jill Hennessy, described the teacher as “irresponsible”.
“People who spread harmful anti-vaccination lies will not be tolerated in Victoria — and teachers, of all people, should know better,” Ms Hennessy told reporters.
“Those who are peddling these lies are putting the health and safety of Victorian children at risk and we won’t stand for it.”
Deputy Chief Health Officer Dr Brett Sutton also hit out at the teacher. He says he can’t “fathom why any parent would put their child at such a risk”.
“Measles still kills hundreds of thousands of children globally each year,” he says. “And around one in a thousand in Australia will die if infected.”
Possible Melbourne outbreak
Measles often begin with a runny nose, red eyes and cough. A rash and fever develop up to seven days after the first symptoms.
The teacher’s post comes days after health experts warned of a possible measles outbreak in parts of Melbourne. In Sydney, a separate outbreak in the western suburbs has infected 23 people.
A statement from the school says the teacher’s views on vaccinations are her own and do not represent the school.
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