Liam Neeson has shut down hypothesis he’s towards vaccinations after narrating a documentary that questions their legitimacy and consists of discredited scientific claims.
The Taken star, 73, has lent his voice to a brand new movie – Plague of Corruption: 80 Years of Pharmaceutical Corruption Exposed – which is predicated on the 2021 e book of the identical identify by Kent Heckenlively and Judy Mikovits.
The latter is a disgraced former scientist who gained notoriety in the course of the Covid pandemic after claiming the illness was brought on by a nasty pressure of the flu and suggested individuals to not get vaccinated.
Meanwhile her co-author – who additionally an government producer on the movie – has written books with far-right radio presenter Alex Jones. He was infamously ordered to pay $1.4billion (£1billion) to the households of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook faculty capturing after calling it a ‘large hoax’.
As reported by The Guardian, Heckenlively lately posted on social media: ‘Liam Neeson for the win. Aslan in on our aspect!’
The publication – which has watched the movie – has stated it ‘questions the legitimacy of vaccines and praises Donald Trump’s well being and human providers secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr.’
Meanwhile the movie’s director is Michael Mazzola, who has beforehand been concerned with documentaries about UFO conspiracies.
Despite the controversy surrounding the discharge, representatives for Neeson have denied claims he helps the views shared within the mission.
‘We all recognise that corruption can exist throughout the pharmaceutical business, however that ought to by no means be conflated with opposition to vaccines,’ they shared in an announcement to a number of retailers, together with The Guardian.
‘Liam by no means has been, and isn’t, anti-vaccination. His intensive work with Unicef underscores his long-held assist for world immunisation and public-health initiatives.
‘He didn’t form the movie’s editorial content material, and any questions on its claims or messaging needs to be directed to the producers.’
In the documentary, one of many traces that Neeson reads says that individuals who assist vaccinations have demanded ‘unconditional submission to our public establishments’ and ‘science has develop into dangerously politicised’.
Another line additionally criticises Covid lockdowns, saying: ‘Thousands of lives had been misplaced, to not the virus, however to the psychological anguish introduced on by these harsh restrictions.’
In a bit about Covid vaccines, Neeson references a report that claims they had been ‘rushed to market’ and considered as ‘harmful experiments’, including that these accountable ‘proceed to evade accountability’.
Meanwhile Kennedy additionally options, claiming that: ‘The massive drawback with vaccines is that they only aren’t safely examined.’
The controversial politician – who’s the present US secretary of well being and human providers – has pushed vaccine misinformation and public-health conspiracy theories over the previous 20 years.
That consists of claiming a connection between vaccines and autism. Despite a current World Health Organisation report confirming there was no hyperlink discovered – the movie nonetheless peddles the speculation.
During a sequence that exhibits politicians praising Kennedy earlier than he speaks, Neeson’s script says: ‘We can not change the previous, however we will demand transparency and accountability for the long run. We can not carry again each beloved one we misplaced, however we will honour their reminiscence by looking for and upholding the reality.’
Meanwhile the movie ends with him saying: ‘This is just not the tip of our story. This is the start of a brand new chapter.”
Neeson’s participation within the documentary comes after he’s beforehand expressed assist for vaccinates in his position as a world ambassador for Unicef.
In 2002 he referred to as them a ‘exceptional human success story’. ‘The dialog about vaccines lately has overlooked how a lot good they’ve carried out for every of us. We must rejoice this. It is maybe one of many largest collective achievements in human historical past,’ he stated on the time.
Since coming to workplace, Kennedy has cancelled $500million (£376million) in funding for the event of vaccines to counter ailments together with the flu and Covid.
He’s additionally eliminated the Covid-19 vaccine from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s advisable immunisation schedule for wholesome kids and pregnant ladies.
His feedback and actions have drawn intense criticism from many scientists, who’ve accused him of spreading damaging – and harmful – misinformation.
Metro has contacted representatives for Liam Neeson for remark.
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