Citing imprimatur of University of Wollongong, antivaxer Judy Wilyman trolls Light for Riley

Judy Wilyman – the anti-vaccination activist inexplicably granted a PhD by the University of Wollongong – has a long history of vilifying bereaved parents: several times, Wilyman has claimed that the whooping cough deaths of babies Dana McCaffery and Riley Hughes are ‘anecdotes’ on which immunisation policy should not rely, whilst also falsely asserting that the McCaffery and Hughes families receive financial benefit for their advocacy of the whooping cough vaccine. Here’s what the Hughes family had to say to the University of Wollongong, in 2015, after one of Wilyman’s grotesque episodes; UoW later awarded Wilyman a PhD:

Wilyman has a long history of citing the imprimatur of the University of Wollongong in her disreputable and inept anti-vaccination activism. In 2013, the University distanced itself from Wilyman. Then, a few years later, it awarded her a PhD:

Recently, Wilyman has been on an anti-vaccination roadshow with the greedy crackpots from the Australian Vaccination-skeptics Network, holding a series of events in which anti-vaccination liars and their enablers claim that they are being censored. Notice that the University of Wollongong’s name is proudly featured in all paraphernalia promoting these events.

In April 2018, they had an event:

In June 2018, they are having another three-ring event. Well, granted, there are more than three rings presenting at this one:

Why can’t we talk about vaccines?

Joining Wilyman on this honking, clown-car convoy is University of Wollongong Emeritus Professor Brian Martin – Wilyman’s former PhD supervisor, go figure – who has most recently found himself somewhat perplexed at the lack of esteem he is being granted for further enabling a movement that proudly and repeatedly vilifies bereaved parents, health advocates, and anyone else who says anything nice about vaccines. Martin wrote a self-published book about his concerns at this lack of esteem:

Really, Brian, it’s just that no one likes you. I was
hoping I wouldn’t need to say that in public.

Somewhat related to “THE CENSORSHIP OF THE VACCINE DEBATE IN AUSTRALIA TODAY” is my 2016 blog post, in which Judy Wilyman sent me threats to remove material  from my blog: University of Wollongong antivaxer Judy Wilyman (and Prof Brian Martin?) attempts to censor this blog. Wilyman wrote:

If you do not remove all comments about me and my research from your blog further action will be taken to make you accountable for fabricating and misinforming the public about academic research and the vaccination issue in general.

Yours Sincerely,

Judy Wilyman PhD

Wilyman has a bit of history with US anti-vaccination conspiracy theorist, Brandy Vaughan. Vaughan and Wilyman featured together in this 2015 blog post that showed Vaughan and Wilyman arguing against the provision of Vitamin K to neonates: University of Wollongong antivax PhD student champions neonatal haemorrhaging.

Recently, professional antivaxer Vaughan’s organisation paid for billboard to be put up in Perth: Wilyman’s hometown. Antivaxers exalted at this development:

Light for Riley – the memorial Facebook page set up following the death of baby Riley Hughes, from whooping cough – is also Perth-based. They posted accurate, evidence-based information to counter the scary lies promoted by Vaughan and Wilyman:

On Monday, anti-vaccination activist Judy Wilyman took the opportunity to troll the Light for Riley page; the comment was deleted, with Light for Riley correctly refusing to platform anti-vaccination activists:

This is Wilyman’s original comment, before she edited it to result in the above:

The University of Wollongong should take a well-deserved bow. Congratulations, University of Wollongong.

Judy Wilyman representing the University of Wollongong’s ‘research
from the university’ by shouting at real researchers on a Perth stage

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This entry was posted in anti-vaccination, anti-vaccination dishonesty, australian vaccination network, AVN, Brian Martin, hypocrisy, Judy Wilyman, Light for Riley, meryl dorey, public health, skeptic, stop the australian vaccination network, Tasha David, University of Wollongong and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

3 Responses to Citing imprimatur of University of Wollongong, antivaxer Judy Wilyman trolls Light for Riley

  1. Ken McLeod says:

    The University of Wollongong should be thoroughly ashamed; first for granting a PhD for a thesis that is plainly rubbish, then for refusing to distance themselves from Wilyman’s misrepresentations.

  2. actinideage says:

    Ah, Brian Martin – https://newmatilda.com/2016/02/07/anti-vaccination-cranks-versus-academic-freedom/ – whose “greatest” achievement was arguably training Jim Green, now a leader of Friends of the Earth, and who was instrumental in engineering the prohibition on low-carbon, proven-at-national-scale nuclear energy – https://t.co/7lfPViqf9f – without public consultation and just at the time when nations like Australia needed to be throwing everything against the critical challenge of climate change.

    That is, it’s hard to know exactly what Green was taught, because it apparently wasn’t arithmetic. https://decarbonisesa.com/2013/05/16/green-nuclear-junk/

  3. Christopher Hickie says:

    Shameful trolling. UOW thoroughly devalued the worth of their degrees giving Wilyman a PhD. Also, anyone with a PhD who insists on being called Dr. Blah Blah, PhD is truly over exploiting their qualifications; aka “Dr. Judy Wilyman, PhD.

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