CANBERRA, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Controversial United States-based anti-vaccination advocate Kent Heckenlively has been denied an entry visa into Australia, after the federal opposition and the government agreed it was inappropriate for him to hold lectures declaring that vaccines are bad for children.
Heckenlively calls himself the "world's No. 1 anti-vaxxer" and had planned to visit Australia to call for a five-year moratorium on childhood vaccinations.
Australia's Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said on Thursday that the anti-vaccination advocate would not be granted an entry visa into Australia, meaning Heckenlively would have to re-think his travel plans.
"Kent has not got any travel plans to Australia because we are not going to allow him to come here, we are not going to issue a visa for this particular individual," Dutton told Macquarie Radio.
The immigration minister said Australia was strongly pro-vaccination, and had recently introduced a "no jab, no pay" policy, whereby new parents are cut off from child welfare payments unless their children are vaccinated.
"These people who are telling parents their kids shouldn't be vaccinated are dangerous people and we have been very clear in having a look right through this particular case and it is clear to me that it is not in our national interest that he should come here," Dutton said.
Heckenlively was refused an entry visa under Section 501 of the migration act, which allows the government to refuse or cancel a visa of someone based on their character.
