A Melbourne doctor who vowed to help parents avoid compulsory immunisations for their children has agreed to stop practicing medicine.
Dr John Piesse entered into the agreement with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency on Thursday while they investigate claims against him.
It comes just a week after the GP declared he would continue to advise people on vaccination exemptions ‘until they deregister’ him.
Doctor John Piesse (pictured) has entered into an agreement with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency to stop practicing medicine
Dr Piesse, who works at the Natural Healing Centre in Mitcham, agreed to stop practicing in the interim and could still have his licence suspended pending the health authorities’ enquiries.
He is among three general practitioners who are currently under investigation after allegedly offering services to parents who are against vaccinations, according to the Herald Sun.
Dr Piesse has reportedly seen at least 450 children since 2015, but said he had not provided a letter of exemption against immunisations for ‘every one’, The Age reports.
He was advised on Thursday that his medical registration could be suspended while the investigation occurred.
It comes just a week after the GP (pictured) declared he would continue to advise people on vaccination exemptions ‘until they deregister’ him
Dr Piesse, who works at the Natural Healing Centre in Mitcham (pictured), agreed to stop practising in the interim and could still have his licence suspended pending the health authorities’ enquiries.
Adamant that he had ‘tried to help’ and had done nothing illegal, Dr Piesse stated last week that he planned to continue advising parents.
‘I will… until they basically deregister me… unless I can be persuaded that what I am doing is wrong,’ he said.
The Melbourne GP was previously captured on camera at an anti-vaccination film screening bragging about helping hundreds of families.
He was filmed telling attendees that doctors can get around both ‘no jab no play’ and ‘no jab no pay’ regulations, with the clip subsequently posted on an anti-vaccination Facebook page.
‘I am a doctor who has been working hard for 18 months to try and help parents get exemption from ‘vaccinated pain for vaccinated play,’ with mixed success,’ he claimed.
‘I want you to know it is possible to get the exemption so there is hope,’ he told the crowd.
Adamant that he had ‘tried to help’ and had done nothing illegal, Dr Piesse had previously said that he would continue advising parents until he was ‘deregistered’ (stock photo)
Naturapathic physician Nerida James – who is Dr Piesse’s colleague – also spoke at the screening to tell of the families they had helped.
‘We can support you. We have been supporting about 600 families thanks to Dr John Piesse,’ she said.
Dr Piesse reportedly had reportedly explained that parents needed a doctor’s letter of ‘contrary indication’ to help children avoid vaccinations.
Legislation introduced in 2016 means childcare services must now obtain evidence of a child’s immunisation history or note for medical exemption, before enrolment.
After news of the investigation into Dr Piesse broke, the anti-vaxxer community raised nearly $100,000 to help him retain his medical registration.
Both state and federal health ministers have called for AHPRA to throw the book at Dr Piesse.
Dr Piesse, second left at the back, spoke at a screening of controversial documentary Vaxxed earlier this month and reportedly told attendees that doctors can get around both ‘no jab no play’ and ‘no jab no pay’ regulations