Labour leader Chris Hipkins said he is "happy" to look into social media posts by a list candidate who claimed the HPV vaccine was "poison", sterilised boys, is "genetically engineered" and contains "altered DNA".
The candidate, Deborah Rhodes, today said she shared the 2019 posts "a number of years ago" and "no longer held that view".
She had also claimed cervical cancer - which the vaccine can play a role in preventing - was "preventable by cervical smears".
The Ministry of Health has confirmed none of Rhodes' claims - summarised to it by 1News - are factually correct.
The posts came to light the same day National's candidate for Hamilton East Ryan Hamilton had voiced support for groups that spread misinformation about fluoridation.
A number of ACT candidates who expressed controversial views online have left the party recently.
Labour and National were the latest to be affected.
Rhodes, who is 72 on Labour's list, took to Facebook in 2019 with her views on HPV vaccines, which prevent against human papillomavirus that is passed by intimate skin-on-skin contact.
The virus, which can be carried undetected, can lead to a range of cancers, most significantly cervical cancer. HPV can also cause head and neck cancer.
The vaccine is free for those aged nine to 26 and was offered at many New Zealand schools, particularly in Years 7 and 8. It is offered to all students of all genders whose parents give consent.
In February 2019, Rhodes, who is based in Golden Bay, posted images of a publication on HPV vaccines, that said the vaccine's aluminium adjuvant - an ingredient that enhances the body's immune response - was dangerous.
According to the Immunisation Advisory Centre, aluminium salts have been used as adjuvants for more than 80 years and a review of all the available studies of aluminium-containing diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccines did not find any evidence that aluminium salts in vaccines caused serious or long-term health problems. It can result in a reaction at the vaccination site especially if the injection is poorly administered.
"More dangerously than that, Gardasil is genetically engineered.... putting altered DNA into a developing adolescent is nothing short of criminal," Rhodes wrote.
"Get the f... out of our schools."
In March the same year, Rhodes posted: "Why would you vaccinate against a virus that is preventable by cervical smears... F...ing poison from big pharma."
She claimed she knew the "thinking" as she had "launched Botox 25 years ago in Europe". She said the thinking was "what shall we go for next to make more money?"
"Greed, lies, male driven egos," she concluded.
In another post, apparently also about HPV vaccines, Rhodes claimed it would "sterilise the boys just in case it doesn't to the girls".
During clinical studies, there were no deaths caused by the HPV vaccine, according to MetSafe.
This afternoon, after Hipkins was confronted about Rhodes' posts, she released a statement via the party.
She said the posts were shared "a number of years ago"
"Since then I've looked at the matter further and I no longer hold that view. I believe the vaccine is safe and effective.
"Myself and my family all took the Covid vaccine."
On the campaign trail in Tauranga today, Hipkins was asked if there were any conspiracy theorists standing for Labour in the election.
Hipkins said he didn't believe so.
When asked he said he was aware of Rhodes as a candidate and was "happy to look into" her social media presence.
Shortly before, Hipkins had called under-fire National candidate Ryan Hamilton a "conspiracy theorist".
He'd said Hamilton's presence among National's candidates should "ring alarm bells" among voters.
“I do believe that people are entitled to change their views in politics, but generally speaking I haven’t found conspiracy theorists are that willing to change their views.
“People who buy into the anti-fluoride, anti-vaxx movement generally tend to be [conspiracy theorists]."
Claims in Rhodes' social media post 'not true' - Ministry of Health
1News supplied a summary of Rhodes' claims to the Ministry of Health and asked if any of them were true.
In response, a Ministry of Health spokesperson said none of the claims, as reported to it, were true.
"Getting vaccinated is the best way for New Zealanders to protect themselves, their whānau and communities.
"The HPV vaccine significantly reduces the chances of contracting Human Papillomavirus in both male and female recipients, and reduces the risk of developing pre-cancerous changes in cervical cells.
"It reduces the risk of cervical, throat and anal cancers."
The spokesperson said cervical smears were used to detect abnormal or pre-cancerous cells in the cervix and was a method of detection, not treatment.
There were also no recorded instances of sterilisation associated with the Gardasil vaccine.
"Gardasil has been in use in NZ since 2008 and there has been no noticeable drop in pregnancies. The first cohort would be around the age of 25 now."
The spokesperson said one to three individuals out of every million people vaccinated with Gardasil 9 would have a serious allergic reaction, which was why people had to wait after a vaccination to allow for quick treatment.
"The Gardasil vaccine contains proteins known as antigens found in several strains of HPV. These antigens cannot cause HPV infection.
"Very small amounts of aluminium have been a common component in vaccines for over 90 years. Aluminium is used as an adjuvant, which means that it increases the immune response and helps make the vaccine more effective.
"Aluminium makes up 500 micrograms (0.0005 grams) of the Gardasil vaccine. This is well below the threshold for safe exposure to aluminium."
SHARE ME