anti-vaccine

adjective

anti-vac·​cine ˌan-tē-vak-ˈsēn  ˌan-ˌtī- 

-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

Kennedy, who has a history of anti-vaccine activism, altered the childhood immunization schedule in January to recommend fewer universal shots to all children. — Aria Bendix, NBC news, 5 Aug. 2026

That reporting is out there, around his many connections to folks who have profiteered off of an anti-vaccine movement. — David Remnick, New Yorker, 31 July 2026

During the height of the 2025 outbreak, Kennedy somewhat pulled back from anti-vaccine messaging and encouraged inoculation against measles. — Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 30 July 2026

In the past six years, some of these theories have emerged from the margins of the internet and made their way into Republican politics, the MAGA movement, anti-vaccine communities and even white-nationalist extremist networks. — Art Jipson, The Conversation, 30 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for anti-vaccine

• acetylene
• adamantine
• adenosine
• amphetamine
• anthropocene
• apoprotein
• aquamarine
• arsphenamine
• azobenzene
• buprenorphine
• catecholamine
• chlorobenzene