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.
Meanwhile, Kennedy's anti-vaccine agenda appears to be moving forward undeterred. ArsTechnica, 24 June 2025 Involvement with Children’s Health Defense Years before becoming HHS secretary, Kennedy led Children’s Health Defense (CHD), a group that pursues anti-vaccine causes. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 24 June 2025 Kennedy billed his firing of the entire 17-member panel as a way to restore public trust in vaccines and eliminate conflicts of interest, but three health policy experts said his new slate brings fewer qualifications and more anti-vaccine views compared with the previous one. Brandy Zadrozny, NBC news, 18 June 2025 Kennedy has a long history of promoting fringe anti-vaccine rhetoric. Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 17 June 2025 With a slate of anti-vaccine moves, RFK Jr. steps up his assault on public health, columnist Michael Hiltzik writes. Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2025 Two recent examples — Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s anti-vaccine rhetoric — illustrate the puzzling nature of such choices. Robert Pearl, Twin Cities, 14 June 2025 Health experts have also noted that multiple new committee members appointed on June 11 have voiced anti-vaccine views that are not evidence-based. Santosh Kumar Gautam, The Conversation, 12 June 2025 The problem is that there is no anti-vaccine side in the legitimate practice of science and medicine. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 11 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 6 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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