DOCTORS have accused some chiropractors of undermining public health policy by supporting a discredited anti-vaccination group and directing patients to the site for information.

Chiropractors are the biggest professional supporters of the anti-vaccination group the Australian Vaccination Network (AVN).

Last year, the Health Care Complaints Commission issued a public warning about the AVN after it found the group was spreading misinformation about childhood vaccination.

The AVN refused to comply with the HCCC's recommendation that they place "a statement in a prominent position on its website" outlining their anti-vaccination stance and was subsequently stripped of its charitable status.

Of the network’s 198 professional members, 128 are registered chiropractors. Many are members of the professional body the Chiropractor’s Association of Australia, or CAA.

“Our professional members are our life's blood - literally!,” AVN founder Meryl Dorey said on her website.

"Professional subscribers help spread the word about informed choice in ways that very few others can or will…they distribute our information to their clients."

Dr Brian Morton from the Australian Medical Association said it was “reprehensible (some) chiropractors support the anti-vaccination lobby” and they should not have access to Medicare rebates and taxpayer subsidies from private health insurers.

“We should not have this double standard where (some) health professionals actively undermine other public health programs like vaccination,” Dr Morton said.

"It should not be supported by taxpayer’s dollars."

Under the Medicare allied health initiative, chiropractors received close to $7 million last year and private insurers paid out $57 million to chiropractors in the June quarter alone.

Immunologist Professor John Dwyer said many chiropractors had moved away from treating back pain.

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