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The Northern Rivers Vaccination Supporters (NRVS) is a vaccination advocacy group formed in 2013 by community members concerned about extremely low vaccination rates in the Northern Rivers region of the Australian state of New South Wales. The stated goal of the group is to lower the incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases in the region by increasing vaccination rates, raising awareness of the importance of vaccination and providing clear and accurate information about vaccines. Core administrators of the NRVS include local residents Alison Gaylard and Heidi Robertson as well as Debbie Procter, Rachel Heap, Sarah Farrand, Kathy McGrath and Trevor Lowe. In 2014 the group was presented the Thornett Award for the Promotion of Reason at the The Australian Skeptics 30th annual convention.

Background
The Northern Rivers region of the Australian state of New South Wales is an area with some of the lowest vaccination rates in Australia. As of 2013, the Northern Rivers town of Mullumbimby had the lowest rate of childhood vaccinations in Australia, with under 50% of one, two and five year-old children fully immunised. The Northern Rivers region is an area where it is socially acceptable to refuse vaccination and supporting vaccination can carry the risk of being ostracised.

The NRVS was formed in 2013 by community members concerned about these extremely low vaccination rates. An independent and unfunded group, NRVS employs a non-judgemental approach to deliver credible information about vaccines and give the residents of the Northern Rivers confidence to speak out in support of vaccination.

Many of the founding members of the group were spurred into action by first-hand experience of vaccine-preventable diseases. "We have had them, our kids have had them, and we have cared for patients with them. We know only too well the true horrors of how awful these diseases can be".

Alison Gaylard
A nursing student and resident of Mullumbimby, Alison Gaylard was a founding member of NRVS. Gaylard helped start the group after her two daughters became ill with whooping cough. Speaking about her experiences whilst caring for her children, Gaylard wrote: "I can’t do anything to help. I can’t give them anything to help, all I can do is watch them spasmodically cough, eyes bulging and watering and rolling. Veins popping out on their fragile skin. Vomiting from coughing so much. Lips turning blue." "I am angry now. Angry that I am still exposing my children to these avoidable meaningless diseases because some people choose to not vaccinate their children."

Gaylard is a vocal advocate of vaccinations, citing the large body of evidence regarding immunisation's benefits. "We're trying to get the correct, factual information out there... And so if people out there are sourcing their information from the correct place, they won't be fed misinformation to make them think they don't have to vaccinate, or that it's scary, or anything like that." "I would request people check their source of information. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts. And science is factual."

Heidi Robertson
A former Intensive Care Ambulance Paramedic, Heidi Robertson has worked as a Paramedic in Sydney and many third world countries. Robertson currently runs a local First Aid business located in the Northern Rivers and acts as a reporter for The Skeptic Zone podcast. Robertson contracted whooping cough whilst six months pregnant in 2008 and feared she would lose her baby. The experience motivated her to join with other concerned citizens to found the NRVS.

Speaking of the ordeal, Robertson has said: "I had coughing spasms so violent I feared I would lose my baby. I vomited after every spasm. I was incontinent after every spasm. I burst blood vessels in my eyes, strained muscles in my back and chest, and was unable to care for my two year old. " "Please make no mistake. This is a disease which can, and has, killed, and has left many who survive with permanent disabilities. Please, let’s all form a chain of protection and get vaccinated."

"We have a vaccination rate here in Mullumbimby that equals that of the developing country of South Sudan, which is: under 50 per cent of kids aged five are fully vaccinated"

Robertson believes that peer-to-peer conversations are important in ensuring a positive discourse with the public regarding the efficacy of vaccines. "...peer-to-peer conversations are absolutely vital, with the scientists in the background to back up the information to ensure that the message they're sharing is accurate and true..."

Activism
"To prevent others suffering, we want to send a positive message out there to people who are confused or hesitant about vaccinations, to provide honest and clear information, and to support one another as we strive to prevent infectious disease."

The stated goal of the group is to lower the incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases in the region by increasing vaccination rates and raising awareness of the importance of vaccination. The group tries to employ a non-judgemental, multi-faceted, peer-to-peer approach to deliver credible and accurate information about vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases as well as giving local residents confidence to speak out in support of vaccination. The group is also dedicated to correcting misinformation around the risks associated with vaccination and encouraging media outlets to portray stories involving vaccination in an evidence-based way. The groups website offers extensive information on vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases and as well as information about determining the quality of sources.

NRVS is very active on social media such as Facebook and Twitter and have featured heavily in local media. NRVS members have made television appearances on both ABC and Today. Heidi Robertson featured on ABC discussing the Australian governments new 'no jab, no play' policy, when it was announced that certain benefits will be denied to families who refuse immunisation. NRVS welcomed the move to crack down on parents avoiding vaccinating their children.

Rachel Heap, a specialist in adult Intensive Care Medicine and Dave Hawkes of Stop the AVN, a virologist and science communicator, represented NRVS on a panel 'Strategic advocacy to reach vaccine hesitant parents' at an Immunisation Advocacy Workshop held in Sydney April 2015.

Gaylard appeared on episode 341 of The Skeptic Zone podcast in May 2015 in which she discussed the workshop. The episode also included interviews with Heidi Robertson and Rachel Heap.

Awards


In 2014, the NRVS was awarded the Thornett Award for the Promotion of Reason at The Australian Skeptics 30th annual convention held in Sydney, Australia. The award was collected by Heidi Robertson and Alison Gaylard. The award, known colloquially known as 'The Fred', acknowledges 'a member of the public or a public figure who has made a significant contribution to educating or informing the public regarding issues of science and reason.'