A billboard advertisement just outside Nelson鈥檚 city limits that questions COVID-19 vaccines and mandates has been ruled to be in contravention of Canadian ad standards.

The billboard, which shows two children and advertises the website for Vaccine Choice Canada, was paid for by Kootenay Freedom, a West Kootenay-based group that describes itself as supporting 鈥渕edical freedom, vaccine choice, informed consent, privacy rights, unbiased journalism, transparent science, free speech, democracy and the opening of the economy.鈥�

A complaint about the ad鈥檚 content was lodged last August with Ad Standards, which administers the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards.

In a Dec. 7 decision, Ad Standards found the image 鈥減lays upon fears to mislead consumers,鈥� 鈥渕ade inaccurate and otherwise misleading claims,鈥� and 鈥渄isplayed a disregard for safety by encouraging unsafe or dangerous practices through discouraging vaccinations, recognized as an important and necessary pandemic public health measure.鈥�

By doing so, the ad contravenes three clauses of the advertising code.

Matt Wynne, the Nelson resident who made the initial complaint about the billboard, said he was pleased with the ruling鈥檚 outcome but remains concerned by its influence over people who are hesitant to receive a vaccine.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 important that we live in a free society,鈥� said Wynne. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great for people to get freedom of choice about whether to get vaccinated or not. But those choices need to be made with factual information and not be influenced by manipulation. And that billboard is manipulative.鈥�

In an email to the Nelson Star, Kootenay Freedom鈥檚 Kevin Shaw said he views the ad in two parts.

On the right-hand side, it encourages questioning of safety mandates because 鈥渢hese measures are inarguably having a detrimental effect on our children.鈥� The other side, Shaw said, 鈥渆ncourages its viewers to familiarize themselves with the dangers associated with the COVID-19 vaccines.鈥�

鈥淭he Ad Council seems to be saying that the degree of danger must be proved to them to their satisfaction as if they are some sort of arbiter of truth,鈥� added Shaw.

鈥淚 reject the notion that this Ad Council is in any way qualified to make a judgement such as this, or even that it is their role to do so.鈥�

Health Canada鈥檚 National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends that children ages five to 11 receive Pfizer鈥檚 vaccine.

Despite the ruling, there is nothing preventing the billboard ad from staying put.

Ad Standards can鈥檛 compel Kootenay Freedom to change or take down the ad, and is limited to . That ruling also cites Vaccine Choice Canada, not Kootenay Freedom, as the advertiser.

Vaccine Choice Canada did not reply to requests for comment.

Wynne said he believes the ad is an embarrassment for the city, and contributes to misinformation about the pandemic.

Seventy-eight per cent of people in the Nelson local health area ages 12 and older have received at least two vaccine doses as of Jan. 25, according to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control. Only 36 per cent of children ages five to 11, however, have had their first dose.

A crowd of hundreds, meanwhile, in downtown Nelson on Saturday.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very easy for things that look legitimate to get out there and really confuse people,鈥� said Wynne. 鈥淚 think it seems like there鈥檚 a lot of that happening in our community for one reason or another, and it鈥檚 worrying.鈥�

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| tyler.harper@nelsonstar.com
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