TORONTO — A major newspaper has removed an opinion piece that urged readers to consider “both sides of the vaccine debate” from its website after the column was the subject of widespread online backlash. Adrienne Batra, editor in chief of the Toronto Sun, says in a post on Twitter that a number of medical professionals pointed out “inaccuracies” in the column, which remains up on the websites of several other publications. The piece was authored by Dr. Ken Walker under the pseudonym W. Gifford-Jones. Walker, 94, said he’s been no stranger to controversy over his decades-long career as a syndicated columnist, discussing such sensitive subjects as abortion and doctor-assisted death. “When I did a surgical operation, I could never guarantee any of my patients that they wouldn’t die, or a complication wouldn’t occur,” he said.

Source: National Post October 29, 2018 08:03 UTC