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.
The law is the culmination of a decade of anti-vaccine activism that got a boost from the pandemic. Audrey Dutton, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025 The law is the culmination of a decade of anti-vaccine activism that got a boost from the pandemic. Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 20 Oct. 2025 Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic who has promoted unfounded theories claiming vaccines cause autism, could also tap into what might be called the canine-vaccine-hesitant demographic − where support for animal rights and anti-vaccine sentiment meet. Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025 Many quickly came out and said that Kennedy’s past anti-vaccine activism disqualified him from the position. Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 2025 Aaron Siri, a Kennedy ally, is one of Guzman’s lawyers, and the lawsuit is funded in part by the Informed Consent Action Network, an anti-vaccine organization founded by Kennedy’s former communications director. Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2025 Pinning the blame on Tylenol instead of vaccines enraged Kennedy's own anti-vaccine organization, Children's Health Defense. ArsTechnica, 24 Sep. 2025 This is a common anti-vaccine talking point. Sony Salzman, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2025 The discussion Friday included a number of fringe ideas promoted by anti-vaccine groups, including claims that injuries caused by the Covid vaccines aren’t being well documented or that the shots can lead to cancer or birth defects — assertions not supported by scientific evidence. Erika Edwards, NBC news, 19 Sep. 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 29 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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