The global crackdown on parents who refuse vaccines for their kids is on

Countries like Germany and Australia are tired of measles outbreaks — so they're moving to fine anti-vaccine parents.

  Understanding the Vaccination Controversy

Recent measles outbreaks put Hudson Valley schools at the center of a vitriolic legal and public health debate.

 'They’re Chipping Away.' Inside the Grassroots Effort to Fight Mandatory Vaccines

The ubiquity of the groups, of course, does not change the misinformation they spread: that vaccines are dangerous, even deadly; that they are linked not only to autism but also to ADHD, asthma, depression and a grab bag of other conditions. The near unanimous global consensus on the safety and lifesaving power of vaccines, they say, is a conspiracy driven by profits, on the part of governments, the pharmaceutical industry and even individual pediatricians.

 Anti-Vaxxers Are Paying Doctors for 'Fake' Vaccine Exemptions in California

California law bars parents from citing personal or religious beliefs to keep from vaccinating their children. Now parents are turning to doctors who write medical exemptions liberally and sometimes for cash.

 Dealing With Measles Vaccination Deniers

Perhaps if we stop worrying about our political agendas and concentrate on the health of our children, we will no longer read headlines about children needlessly being infected with preventable illnesses.

 Getting to the Truth on Measles

Some anti-vaxxers are pushing bogus advice hotlines. But the media may also be highlighting falsities.

 How Anti-Vaccine Sentiment Took Hold in the United States

As families face back-to-school medical requirements this month, the country feels the impact of a vaccine resistance movement decades in the making.

 How to Inoculate Against Anti-Vaxxers

The no-vaccine crowd has persuaded a lot of people. But public health can prevail.

 I Used to Be An Anti-Vaxxer. Here’s What Changed My Mind

I'm now a vaccine advocate. This is how I got here.

 Myths About Vaccines Are Hard to Dispel

A new study shows that when people are told the truth about side effects, they stick to misconceptions

 Parents Who Don’t Vaccinate Their Kids Should Pay A ‘Sin Tax’

We’re comfortable with taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and, recently, marijuana. Why don’t we use one for refusing vaccines, too?

 People’s Fears About Vaccines Aren’t Just About Vaccines

The more we understand this, the better we can allay these fears.

 The Anti-Vaccine Movement in 2020

The popular depiction of antivaxxers as “earthy-crunchy” doesn’t tell the whole story. Anti-vaccine sentiment is strongly associated with conspiracy thinking and protection of individual freedoms, traits that are finding a home among far-right groups.

 The Small, Small World of Facebook’s Anti-vaxxers

Squelching vaccine misinformation might be easier than the platform makes it seem.

 The True Dollar Cost of the Anti-Vaccine Movement

Medical responders spend millions of tax dollars handling disease outbreaks that could have been prevented—with vaccines.

 This autism dad has a warning for anti-vaxxers

Why a vaccine researcher is waging war on the anti-vaccine movement.

 Unvaccinated children are coming of age–and they want protection

But as parents in some states increasingly take advantage of non-medical exemptions that allow them to forego standard vaccinations, more and more children are reaching their teenage years only to discover—from their peers, teachers, and through Twitter and Facebook and other online platforms—that their bodies are at the center of a roiling tug-of-war between science and pseudoscience. And this has increasing numbers of unvaccinated near-adults digging through literature and asking questions in online forums in an effort to discover, for themselves, the truth about vaccines, and what options are available to them as they approach the age of consent.

 Vaccine Rejection: Truth and Consequences

Kent State epidemiologist Tara Smith talks about vaccines, recent preventable measles outbreaks and her 2017 journal article on vaccine rejection.

 Why vaccine opponents think they know more than medical experts

Given the consistent message from the scientific community about the safety of vaccines, and evidence of vaccine success as seen through the eradication of diseases, why has the skepticism about vaccines continued? One possibility is that attitudes about medical experts help to explain the endorsement of anti-vax attitudes. Specifically, building on past research, our research team contends that some U.S. adults might support anti-vax policy positions in part because they believe they know more than medical experts about autism and its causes. We wanted to test this theory.

The Vaccination Double Standard

Despite years of research, there’s no good way to convince anti-vaxxers of the truth. It’s time to make vaccination mandatory for all kids.

Vaccines Are Profitable, So What?

Yes, Big Pharma is making money from immunizations. But that doesn't mean anyone should skip the shots.

5 Cognitive Biases That Explain Why People Still Don't Vaccinate

“From a psychological perspective, parents who choose not to vaccinate their children are likely falling victim to several errors in thinking, or cognitive biases,” says Dr. Rachelle M. Smith, Chair of Social Sciences and Associate Professor of Psychology at Husson University in Bangor, ME. “Cognitive biases frequently occur when an individual doesn't have enough information or has strong emotions related to a complex decision.”

Anti-Vaxxers Are Apparently Refusing to Vaccinate Their Dogs

The obvious repercussions of not vaccinating your pets is transmission. According to the World Health Organization, 55,000 people worldwide die every year from rabies, and “the vast majority” of those deaths are from dog bites.

How Many People Aren’t Vaccinating Their Kids in Your State?

In some places, dodging your children's immunizations is as easy as checking a box.

How Panicked Parents Skipping Shots Endanger Us All

This isn't a religious dispute, like the debate over creationism and intelligent design. It's a challenge to traditional science that crosses party, class, and religious lines. It is partly a reaction to Big Pharma's blunders and PR missteps, from Vioxx to illegal marketing ploys, which have encouraged a distrust of experts. It is also, ironically, a product of the era of instant communication and easy access to information.

Mom Changes Her Anti-Vax Stance After Entire Family Gets Sick

Kristen O’Meara refused to vaccinate her children for more than five years. Then her entire family contracted Rotavirus, a potentially deadly stomach virus that can be prevented with a vaccination. It was a wake-up call she couldn’t ignore.

Not Vaccinating Children Is the Greater Risk

After more than 50 years as a medical and science writer, I’m pained to see that childhood immunizations, perhaps the most important health and lifesaving advance of the last century, are being seriously eroded by misinformation and scaremongering.

Sincere and Sincerely Wrong: Making Children Less Safe in the Name of Safety

Recently, many parents and communities have decided not to vaccinate their children. There are several reasons people choose not to vaccinate their children, primarily born from misinformation from anti-vaccine advocates. One advocate who profoundly impacted the discussion of vaccine safety is Andrew Wakefield.

The Dangers of Vaccine Denial

IN a few backward parts of the world, extremists resist universal childhood vaccinations. The Taliban in tribal areas of Pakistan. Boko Haram militants in Northern Nigeria. Oh, yes, one more: Some politicians in the United States.

The real vaccine scandal

It’s not just the anti-vaxxers—Canada’s vaccination system is a mess. How governments and parents are failing our kids.

The Return of the Vaccine Wars

The controversy over vaccines is as old as vaccination itself. When Edward Jenner, a brilliant English country doctor, discovered the vaccine for smallpox in 1796, he faced as much criticism as praise.

To Vaccinate or Not To Vaccinate

'That is the question' that continues to be unresolved even after the landmark study that linked the increased incidence of autism to vaccinations was found to be fradulent.

To Vaccinate or Not?

It seems there are a lot of celebrities that are speaking outwardly about whether they are for or against vaccinations. Probably the most outspoken and well known celebrities are Jenny McCarthy, against and Amanda Peet, for.

When Zika Turns Deadlier: How Anti-Vaccination Misinformation Could Exacerbate an International Health Emergency

Zika does carry potential dangers for expectant mothers and their babies. But the virus is tame compared to its local counterparts — dengue is nicknamed “break-bone fever,” chikungunya “bending-up fever.” But it is really tame compared to tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis, the bacterial infections against which Tdap protects.