Anti-vaccinationist is lead speaker at CAA's National Development Forum

I’m developing kind of a soft spot for the Chiropractors’ Association of Australia. If they weren’t all about adjusting babies for no reason, promoting anti-vaccinationism, and pretending to treat invisible, undetectable maladies (subluxations), I’d want to give them all a big hug, and a tickle on the tummy. Only, they keep doing things like this…

In March 2013 Fairfax journalist Amy Corderoy broke the news of the CAA’s anti-vaccine training:

Chiropractors are receiving government-mandated training by anti-vaccination physicians who believe diet and ”keeping the spine in line” will prevent deadly diseases such as polio.

Chiropractors can make up the entirety of their annual 12½ hours of formal medical education – which they must undertake in order to continue practising – from known anti-vaccination proponents.

The head of the Australian Medical Association, Steve Hambleton, said the Chiropractic Board of Australia is failing in its duty to protect the public by allowing the courses.

One such course, which counts towards eight hours of education, is run by US anti-vaccination author Tim O’Shea.

That was bad. O’Shea is a rabid anti-vaccine chiropractor. Then, in July 2013, I introduced you to Billy DeMoss, a deranged Californian conspiracy theorist and chiropractor who has a huge impact on Australian chiropractors; especially his Australian disciple, Tim Shakespeare. DeMoss appeared at the Australian Spinal Research Foundation’s Dynamic Growth Congress, earlier this year, As I wrote in my earlier post:

This guy – the same guy who publicly states the encyclopedia of conspiracy theory as his personal belief, on his professional Facebook page, where everyone knows what he thinks and feels and does – got a gig at one of the premier Australian chiropractic conferences of the year, run by the ASRF, an “Associated Organisation” of the CAA, and he got a rock star welcome.

Well. The CAA are at it again. In October the CAA is holding its annual National Development Forum. The number one speaker is US chiropractor and practice building, marketing, and life coach (from what I can gather by his Facebook pages), Stephen Franson:

CAA NDF FransonOkay. Here we go again. Let’s have a look at some of Franson’s “wellness principles”, namely his views on immunisation. Firstly, he has a few different Facebook pages, so I’ll just list three of them here:

As you can see, Franson is pumped to be appearing at this year’s NDF: here is in conversation with anti-vaccine chiropractor and Board Member of the CAA’s National body, Billy Chow:

Franson 3 CAA conferenceLet’s see the quality of Franson’s information.

Oh crap.

Franson 2 Wakefield defenceOkay, well maybe he didn’t realise that Wakefield is a fraud and a charlatan, and Franson had just made an error in spruiking the Bought movie, just that once. Right?

Not again...

Not again…

Here is a still from the Bought movie, just so we’re all on the same page. See that Infowars thing?

Wakefield, on Infowars.

Wakefield, on Infowars.

And, nailing the anti-vaccine three-pointer, Franson goes all Italian Courts on us. Skeptical Raptor has chomped on this canard, here:

Vaccines do not cause autism. Not even in Italy.

Vaccines do not cause autism. Not even in Italy.

Franson also provides vaccine information sessions, because he is a nice guy:

Bring that open mind, folks.

Bring that open mind, folks.

And, handily for us – or maybe not – here is a video Franson prepared earlier, with which to crow-bar your mind open:

Hypnotoad wants you to watch this video before you go to seminar.

Hypnotoad wants you to watch this video before you go to seminar.

Look. I admit I wasn’t going to watch it after I clicked on the link to see the enlarged thumbnail. But, I thought I should. I made it through ten minutes. This guy is not as educated and informed as he thinks he is, and will tell you. In fact, he is wrong, arrogant to believe he is right, and wrong. Look at this abomination:

Franson 7 vaccines videoThis guy thinks that Viera Scheibner is a reputable source. He is the number one speaker at this year’s CAA National Development Forum. Why is the CAA still a thing?

Just quickly, I thought I’d point out another one of the speakers at this year’s NDF: the anti-vaccine CAA National Board Member, Tony Croke; who you will remember condones chiropractors sneaking into hospitals to treat patients.

Croke will be giving a talk on the minefield which is social media, chiropractors’ responsibilities when using it, and the pitfalls of breaking codes and guidelines. Nothing ever seems to happen in this respect anyway. So, just go for it, chiropractors; it’s a free-for-all:

Pay attention. You might learn something.

Pay attention. You might learn something.

Mr Croke is free to use the following example in his talk. No charge. No need to acknowledge his source. This is a great example of the misuse of testimonials, about which Croke is more than knowledgeable:

You're welcome.

You’re welcome.

He can use these as well:

Huh? But, he said... Oh never mind.

Huh? But, he said… Oh never mind.

Where is the Chiropractic Board of Australia? Where is the pro-activism which was promised?

About reasonable hank

I'm reasonable, mostly.
This entry was posted in anti-vaccination dishonesty, chiropractic, skeptic, stop the australian vaccination network and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

0 Responses to Anti-vaccinationist is lead speaker at CAA's National Development Forum

  1. Mary says:

    ANY word at all from the CBA on any of this Hank?

  2. Sue says:

    It’s hard to find a chiro website or FB page that doesn’t breach the advertising CoC in some way – testimonials, unsupported claims, special deals, invitation to treatment for no indication…it’s everywhere.

  3. M smith says:

    Tony Crome simply doesn’t have a fracking clue. To call him a clown would be an insult to clowns.

  4. Tyson Adams says:

    *At a party*
    So Mike, what do you do for a living?
    Oh, I’m a doctor. I have a chiropractic clinic.
    So, not a doctor then.
    Yes, I’m a doctor of chiropractic.
    Like I said, not a doctor. I think the correct term for your field is quackery.
    No need to be disrespectful.
    Piss off baby killer.

  5. Whatever says:

    What is the point of this post?

    So why are you talking about American chiropractors here? They are allowed to have anti-vaccine opinions. Doesn’t breach their code of conduct.

    Doesn’t mean that is what they will talk about at a conference or meeting.

    And why wouldn’t Tony Croke want to help the chiro’s get their act together on facebook?

  6. Duncan says:

    Saw this and thought of you…

    http://whatstheharm.net/chiropractic.html

    Just after the head voodoo of the ACA or CAA or whatever said that there was no recorded case, ever, anywhere, of chiro causing an injury in response to the recent story about the kid getting their neck broken by one of their quacks

  7. Pingback: Chiropractors’ Association of Australia (NSW) brings in anti-vaccine subluxationist as lead seminar speaker | reasonablehank

Leave a Reply