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Amazon, Waterstones, Foyles Urged to Act "Responsibly" in Trade of Anti-Vaxxer Bestsellers

Searching for “vaccine” on Amazon will most often have anti-vaccine literature in the top results, which may vary slightly based on the location of the user.
Sputnik

Among other books on the vaccine industry, COVID-19 jabs and “Making the Right Choice for Your Child,” search results recommend the book “Anyone Who Tells You Vaccines Are Safe and Effective is Lying” as a Bestseller option for buyers.

Amazon, Waterstones, Foyles Urged to Act "Responsibly" in Trade of Anti-Vaxxer Bestsellers

A book along similar lines “Vaccine-nation: Poisoning The Population, One Shot At A Time” also comes up in the Amazon search.

Amazon, Waterstones, Foyles Urged to Act "Responsibly" in Trade of Anti-Vaxxer Bestsellers

Amid the mass vaccination programme in the UK, Shadow Public Health Minister Alex Norris said he was concerned about booksellers' responsibility at a time of a global pandemic.

"Getting our population vaccinated is a massive priority and it is very sad to see these things so freely available. We would hope that retailers would act responsibly and have a look at whether they want to be associated with such products and whether they want to be seen to be profiting off such products,” Norris said

Websites of British book retailers Waterstones and Foyles also feature anti-vaccination literature but it is shown next to pro-vaccination publications. Amazon also has pro-vaccination books on offer but not many of them are bestsellers. 

The anti-vaccination books, reviewed by thousands of customers, have reportedly seen their sales rise since the beginning of the pandemic.

A review of the book "Anyone Who Tells You Vaccines Are Safe and Effective is Lying” said it “contains truth and not degeneracy".

"Surprised Amazon have not banned this. It contains truth and not degeneracy," the review by a user named Andrew said.

According to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), vaccination in the most effective way to prevent infectious diseases spreading and protecting others in the community.

“Be aware that anti-vaccine stories are spread online through social media. They may not be based on scientific evidence and could put your child at risk of a serious illness,” the NHS has warned on its website.

​The first item on Amazon in the search for the word "vaccine" is a link to the official government website on Covid-19.

The UK government data and insights on COVID-19 in the most recent update said that nearly 21 million people in Britain had their first dose of a coronavirus vaccination. 

The roll-out aims to include everyone in priority groups five to nine (50 to 65-year-olds) by 15 April. 

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