Extract from Lords proceedings following a statement in
the Lords on Covid-19: Disparate Impact
(Non-Afl)
...A report I have just released, a copy of which has gone to the
Minister’s department for her personal perusal, shows how the
anti-vaccine movement is deeply embedded with anti-Semitism. Some
79% of the anti-vaccine groups organising in this country publish
vehement anti-semitism in their discussions; for example,
categorising Bill Gates as Jewish, talking about the Zionists being
responsible, blaming Israel for the creation of coronavirus—the
Rothschilds and the new world order. Those are the same old
conspiracy theories. Does the Minister agree that we need to take
on the extremists on the far right and the far left of the
anti-vaccine movement both now and in advance of a vaccine being
available? Their conspiracy theories are garnering too many views
online, and perhaps too many supporters, with deeply worrying
anti-semitism at their heart.
, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department
for Education and Department for International Trade () (Con)
I am grateful to the noble Lord and I am sure that I will give
his report my personal perusal and respond to it. Of course, we
need to ensure that the public health messages going to
communities are accurate and truthful. Obviously, there are
various laws around correcting information and making sure that
it is truthful. Conspiracy theories need to be debunked so that
people have the information on which to make their decisions. We
are all looking forward to a vaccine, but it is also apparent
that not enough black and minority ethnic individuals are coming
forward to the NHS Covid-19 vaccine registry.
