But by far the highest numbers are in the Northern Rivers, on the far north coast of NSW. The whooping cough outbreak that spread through Australia in 2009 was reported to have started in the Northern Rivers. In the Northern Rivers, however, even some doctors have become susceptible to anti-vaxxer sentiment. In the Northern Rivers, there are still Facebook groups – most of them members-only – where parents encourage one another to visit their chickenpox-infected friends. "We like to say that 'Minds will be changed over a thousand cups of tea,'" says Rachel Heap, from the Northern Rivers Vaccination Supporters group.

Source: Stuff June 08, 2019 06:22 UTC