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Paramedic Goes Viral For Confronting Picture Encouraging People To Get Vaccinated

Paramedic Goes Viral For Confronting Picture Encouraging People To Get Vaccinated

"Time for a plug as the outbreak slowly turns towards an epidemic."

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

While the internet has been praised for the spread of valuable information around the world, it has also brought rise to misinformation as well.

People can be duped into the most ridiculous things because they look realistic or are presented in a certain way.

That couldn't be more relevant than with the anti-vaxx movement, which is a seemingly growing group of people who are against get vaccinated. Funnily enough, there are loads of these people who are vaccinated themselves, but refuse to give their kids the jab because of ill informed advice found on the internet.

But one Kiwi paramedic has had enough with the spread of measles across his country that he's posted a now viral picture on social media, calling for people to get vaccinated.

Brendan Peat uploaded a picture of him sitting in the back of an ambulance with a body suit and mask on with a sign saying: "Please vaccinate."

The New Zealander wrote on Facebook: "Time for a plug as the outbreak slowly turns towards an epidemic, another one tonight. 616 cases of measles this year, with over 400 in counties Manukau affecting mostly 0-4yrs and 15-29yr olds.

"Please trust science, and vaccinate not only kids but adults too against such an easy preventable disease which is proven safe and effective.

"Middlemore now has a specific measles ward seeing three new cases a day. The aircon has been turned off in the kids department in an attempt to prevent the spread."

His post has been liked, shared and commented on by thousands of people; many of whom have criticised anti-vaxxers for creating an environment where herd immunity had been compromised.

PA

New Zealand is currently in the grips of a particularly bad measles outbreak, with the majority of cases cropping up in the Counties Manukau District Health Board region.

Counties Manukau Health disputed a tiny point in Brendan's viral social media post: that the air-conditioning had been turned off.

A spokesperson told the New Zealand Herald: "The wards are still fully air-conditioned however the air handlers have been set to vent all of the air externally without recirculation or heat recovery, which is the normal process in the hospital."

Immunisation Advisory Centre director and GP Dr Nikki Turner has warned that if the number of measles cases doesn't improve then New Zealand could lose its elimination status, which would take several years to get back.

Featured Image Credit: Brendan Peat/Facebook

Topics: Viral, Community