The sociology of the antivaccine movement

Skepticism and misinformation relating to vaccines is not new. The benefits of all our present routinely used vaccines outweigh any risks. In relatively recent times there has been a ‘war on science' and relating to this, is the present antivaccine movement. Today, social media is a major contributor to vaccine misinformation. A recent Gallup poll noted that public support for vaccines today is significantly lower than it was in 2001. Social scientists have presented the problem of the antivaccine movement quite well; but mechanisms for addressing it are far from clear. We suggest that physicians and other health care workers should not use social media for vaccine messages. A long-term approach would be to introduce science/epidemiological education in grade school and high school as well as in college.