Australian Medical Association president says it’s ‘a recipe for disaster’ for celebrity chefs to be spreading unproven medical advice

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

The head of the Australian Medical Association has warned celebrity chef Pete Evans should stick to cooking and not spread misinformation about vaccinations.

The My Kitchen Rules judge promoted a controversial anti-vaccination podcast to his 1.5 million Facebook followers on Wednesday.

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“One of the most important podcasts to listen to. Thanks [anti vaxxer campaigner Paul Chek] for asking the questions that need to be asked about vaccines and medicine,” he wrote.

The Australian Medical Association president, Dr Tony Bartone, said celebrity chefs should stick to cooking, not spreading unproven medical advice.

“When it comes to cooking, Pete Evans might be an expert, but his misinformation about vaccination is a recipe for disaster,” he said in a statement.

“He should leave the medical advice to the experts and keep quiet about matters he has no skills, experience or expertise in.”

Since the introduction of vaccinations for children in Australia in 1932, deaths from preventable diseases have fallen by 99%, despite a threefold increase in the Australian population over that period, the federal health department says.

Health authorities have been battling misinformation about vaccines in recent years.

Bartone said celebrities who promote anti-vaccination viewpoints and messages need to be held to account.

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“Vaccination has saved millions of lives worldwide,” he said.

Evans has previously copped criticism for claiming in a Netflix documentary that a “ketogenic diet” can help autism, asthma and even cancer. There were calls for Netflix to remove the “irresponsible” film.

He has also been accused of endangering lives with his unscientific advice on fluoride, calcium and sunscreen. In 2015, there were concerns a cookbook he co-authored could be harmful and potentially fatal for babies.