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 statement marked a notable departure from his past affiliations with anti-vaccine advocacy groups and was widely seen as an attempt to reassure the public. Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025 Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for years was a leading vaccine skeptic, as head of the anti-vaccine organization Children’s Health Defense. Tara Suter, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2025 At the heart of this problem lies the influence of vocal anti-vaccine rhetoric that is not only scientifically unsound but also profoundly irresponsible. Amar Duggirala, Baltimore Sun, 23 Apr. 2025 The doctor's infection was revealed in a video posted online by Children's Health Defense (CHD), the rabid anti-vaccine advocacy organization founded and previously run by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a long-time anti-vaccine advocate who is now the US secretary of health. ArsTechnica, 21 Apr. 2025 Others followed the Senate confirmation of anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the NIH. Rae Ellen Bichell and Rachana Pradhan, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2025 Overseeing the cuts is Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who rose to prominence leading an anti-vaccine movement. Arkansas Online, 14 Apr. 2025 Overseeing the cuts is Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who rose to prominence in the field leading an anti-vaccine movement. Laura Ungar, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2025 Still, anti-vaccine advocates, including Kennedy, have claimed that vaccines are to blame. Amanda Seitz, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 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 2 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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