More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
Dozens of conspiracists targeted a summer fete by picketing a pop-up vaccine clinic set up to help passersby get jabbed.
Herne Bay health bosses had braced themselves for the arrival of activists ahead of the summer fun day at Memorial Park on Sunday.
The anti-vaxxers are said to have stationed themselves close to the Park Surgery stand for several hours, recording medics and handing out leaflets, before hurling obscenities at practice staff towards the end of the day.
Town GP Dr Jeremy Carter told KentOnline: “There were a couple of reports from patients who had been approached by them and there was one in particular who felt intimidated by them.
“He commented that it was frustrating that they stopped him and felt like they were trying to push their message on him.
“There were people who called us nasty words – as someone was leaving they wound down their window and shouted.
“From mine and my staff’s point of view, we had no issues other than the usual thing at these events where they film you. That could be perceived as being intimidating by some.”
The clinic at the Baytastic event was set up to try to offer same-day inoculation appointments at nearby Park Surgery to hard-to-reach patients.
Police have confirmed they were called to the event after receiving a report that patients were being prevented from entering the King’s Road practice. A spokesman for the force says an officer attended and gave “words of advice” to those present.
Despite this, Dr Carter stresses the clinic was a success, having administered its target number of injections.
“We were expecting it and planned our clinic in a way that we hoped wouldn’t get disrupted by it,” he added.
“By and large it was an uneventful, peaceful protest. Our staff handled it exceptionally well.
“They were there, but they didn’t stop us from doing what we were doing. We did as many vaccines in our clinic as we did the week before.”
Dr Carter says Sunday was the first time medics in Herne Bay had encountered anti-jabbers in the town.
Baytastic organiser Liz Harvey says some of the protesters were being “pretty inappropriate” to visitors to the fete if they did not take one of their leaflets.
“Some were being rude – but not all of them were like that,” she said.
“The public weren’t happy they were there. It was a family event – it was inappropriate for them to be there.
“It didn’t ruin the day, though. It ended up being a really successful event.”
