Covid Response Minister Chris Hipkins said the magazine belonged in the bin. Photo / NZME
A 48-page magazine dedicated to vaccine misinformation being dropped into Hawke's Bay letterboxes has been described as "close to sedition" by a man who received it.
A man in his 90s contacted Hawke's Bay Today this week after receiving The Real News magazine's "special Covid issue #3" in his letterbox in Parkvale, Hastings.
The man, who has been fully vaccinated, showed the paper the contents of the magazine, which contains about 33 articles of what he described as anti-vaccination "propaganda".
The articles include debunked claims that vaccines have killed 50,000 Americans, the suggestion that the vaccine's contents magnetise humans, and even a photograph of Hipkins with a drawn-on Hitler moustache.
The man described the magazine as being "very close to sedition" and feared the effect it could have on vulnerable people and the Government's vaccine rollout.
Covid Response Minister Chris Hipkins told Hawke's Bay Today the magazine belonged "in the bin".
The Real News has funding ties to failed fringe political party Advance New Zealand, which announced last month it was deregistering, and connections to anti-vaccination group Voices for Freedom.
The publisher of the magazine is Auckland's Jonathan Eisen and his wife Katherine Smith.
Smith is a director and shareholder of Full Court Press, of which Eisen is a former director. She is director of another magazine produced by the company, The New Zealand Journal of Natural Medicine, while Eisen is listed as the editor of Uncensored magazine.
It has previously been reported that 60,000 copies of its first anti-vaccination edition were printed to be distributed nationwide.
Representatives of The Real News did not respond to a request for comment on Sunday.
In a previous interview with the NZ Herald, Eisen and Smith disputed that their content was inaccurate, saying articles contained links to research that support their assertions.
Hipkins said the magazine, which claims on its front cover to cost $7 to buy, should be thrown away.
"As I have said before, the people spreading this misinformation are causing harm to themselves, their families and those receiving this information.
"I also encourage people to seek information from official sources, such as the Ministry of Health and the Unite Against Covid-19 websites."
Hipkins said the article alongside the drawing of him with a Hitler moustache was incorrect.
"The vaccine is voluntary. And even where we make it mandatory for some jobs, people can still choose not to have the vaccination if they don't want to."
Hawke's Bay District Health Board directed media inquiries to the Ministry of Health, which said it was aware of anti-vaccination material circulating in the community.
"The Ministry of Health's focus is on providing clear, consistent access to trusted and transparent information,'' a ministry spokesperson said.
"False claims about Covid-19 and vaccinations are concerning, unhelpful and potentially dangerous."
The spokesperson said if people saw examples of misinformation about the vaccine, whether online or a physical document, they could report it to cyber-security agency Cert NZ by emailing covid@ops.cert.govt.nz.
If people saw Covid-19 misinformation on social media, they should report it to the social media platform it appears on, the spokesperson said.
WHERE TO GET YOUR VACCINE IN HAWKE'S BAY:
Hawke's Bay DHB has several options to make access to getting the vaccine as easy as possible. They include:
Hawke's Bay DHB super clinics:
&bull: Hastings Racecourse (300 Prospect Road, Saddles/Hobbles Room under the Lowery Stand)
&bull: The Taradale Club (55 Wharerangi Road, Taradale)
&bull: Waipawa Rugby Clubrooms (Coronation Park, Tikokino Road, Waipawa)
General practices and pharmacies – several primary care/community providers are also offering vaccinations. These are:
• Hastings Health Centre
• Totara Health
• The Doctors Napier
• Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga
• Taradale Medical Centre (phone 06 844 6831 to book)
• Te Mata Peak Practice (phone 06 873 0752 to book)
• Unichem Jeff Whittakers Pharmacy
• Unichem Stortford Lodge
• Ahuriri Pharmacy
Wairoa clinics – vaccinations in Wairoa are all through the Queen Street Practice, Wairoa Hospital, 24 Kitchener St, Wairoa. People in Wairoa can call 06 838 8333 to book an appointment or online at www.bookmyvaccine.nz.
Pop-up clinics – in partnership with iwi and our Pasifika community, the DHB is providing marae and church-based outreach clinics.
Upcoming pop-up clinics include:
• Camberley Community Centre – for residents of Camberley. Monday, August 16, 9am – 4pm. For bookings, please call 06 871 0524.
• Flaxmere Cook Island Hall - Wednesday, August 18. For bookings, text your name and number to 027 209 5064.
Rongomaraeroa Marae (Porangahau) - Saturday, August 28, 9am – 4pm. For bookings please call 068555332.
• Takapau Town Hall – Saturday, August 20, and Sunday, August 21, 9am – 4pm. For bookings, please call 06 855 8376.
• Kings House Church Maraenui - Wednesday , August 25, 9am – 4pm. For bookings, text your name and number to 027 209 5064.
• Waiohiki Marae - Saturday, September 4, 9am – 4pm. For bookings, please call 0800 4 AHURIRI (0800 424 87474)
• Kohupatiki Marae - Saturday, September 18, 9am – 4pm. For bookings, please call 0800 4 AHURIRI (0800 424 87474)