Public figures such as Kiwi celebrity Jemaine Clement should seek the facts before sharing their opinions on the vaccine debate, an immunisation expert says.
Clement, best known as one of the Flight of the Concords duo, has posted messages on his Twitter feed backing Hollywood star Jim Carry's anti-vaccination comments.
Carey's own Twitter ravings to his millions of followers criticised the danger of immunisation, saying jabs poison children with mercury and aluminium.
In a series of tweets, Clement defended Carry's right to make such observations, saying: "well I guess anti anti vaxxers are important too! My argument is about not closing down debate."
But this has earned the oprobrium of Dr Nikki Turner, director of the immunisation advisory centre at the University of Auckland.