Vaccine info session educates from both sides of debate

By Mo Cranker on February 6, 2018.

mcranker@medicinehatnews.com @MHNmocranker

Both sides of the vaccination debate were on display during a Vaccine Information Evening Monday at the Medicine Hat Public Library.

The night featured two presentations, one by naturopath Dr. Jason Schnieder, the other by Alberta Health Services Medical Officer of Health Dr. Lena Derie-Gillespie.

“This is an education session for anyone who is interested, really,” said Derie-Gillespie. “We’re here to help people make their own informed decisions, whatever decision that may be.”

Each presenter had one hour to talk to the few dozen Hatters in the MHPL’s newly-renovated theatre, each hoping to share their beliefs on vaccination.

“We’re not here to argue or have a debate evening,” said Derie-Gillespie. “We’re just trying to give people as much information as possible. We’re from public health, so obviously we believe in vaccinations.

“Our goal isn’t to tell people why they should believe in vaccines, but to share the knowledge and information we have on them.”

Schnieder says he sits on the other side of the fence when looking at vaccinations.

“I don’t want to call it the con side, but I’ll say the pro-vaccine choice side,” he said. “There’s a few different things we look at on our side, and we want people to take a step back and look at things. Is the prevention that’s being done with public health causing issues? And my presentation tonight will show that it is.”

While both speakers may not see eye-to-eye on the issue at hand, they did agree there are a lot of misconceptions surrounding vaccinations.

“A night like this can help people clear up some things they may be unsure about, or show them that something they believed to be true actually wasn’t,” said Derie-Gillespie.

“There’s a lot of information that we believe to be true that isn’t that easy to find. A night like this can really make it easier for people to get information they likely wouldn’t have found otherwise,” said Schnieder.

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