anti-vaccine

adjective

ˌan-tē-vak-ˈsēn,
ˌan-ˌtī- How to pronounce anti-vaccine (audio)
-ˈvak-ˌsēn
variants or less commonly antivaccine
: opposed to the use of vaccines
A handful of parents and anti-vaccine activists told lawmakers … that they believe vaccines are responsible for countless cases of autism, learning disabilities and death.Jim Hughes
… the rising global threat of antivaccine sentiments and vaccine misinformation contributed to the WHO [=World Health Organization] classifying vaccine hesitancy as a top ten global health threat in 2019 …David M. Higgins and Sean T. O'Leary

Examples of anti-vaccine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In 2019, large outbreaks in New York threatened elimination status; those outbreaks were concentrated in Orthodox Jewish communities in Brooklyn and Rockland County that had been targeted with anti-vaccine disinformation for years. Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 5 July 2025 This panel of seven replaced the 17 ACIP members Kennedy fired last month in order to stack the committee with members who share his anti-vaccine agenda. Lisa Jarvis, Twin Cities, 3 July 2025 Before the votes at the meeting, Lyn Redwood, a nurse practitioner who has been involved with anti-vaccine organizations, presented on thimerosal in flu vaccines. Annika Kim Constantino,ashley Capoot, CNBC, 1 July 2025 His paper has since been debunked and his medical license has been revoked, but his findings sparked the anti-vaccine movement that continues today, despite evidence that vaccines have saved lives and provide more benefit than harm. Alice Park, Time, 1 July 2025 But the vote showed the panel’s willingness to disregard scientific data and empower people with longstanding grievances against the public health establishment and the anti-vaccine movement to make policy recommendations for the entire country. Joseph Choi, The Hill, 29 June 2025 For the first time, Kennedy has managed to use the anti-vaccine agenda to guide American foreign policy. Hana Kiros, The Atlantic, 28 June 2025 The anti-vaccine camp maintains that the vaccines weren’t adequately studied before rolling them out to the general public and haven’t been sufficiently monitored for adverse effects since then. Michael A. Hiltzik, Mercury News, 28 June 2025 Some of the members, like Kennedy, have a history of anti-vaccine advocacy, prompting backlash that had doctors and organizations calling for a delay in the meeting. Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 28 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of anti-vaccine was in 1880

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Cite this Entry

“Anti-vaccine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anti-vaccine. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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