The anti-vaccination movement has a long history, beginning in France in 1763 and continuing through to today. As with all hot-button issues, it’s important to have accurate information and listen to both sides of the story. In the below infographic, developed by Mark Kirkpatrick, a freelance health journalist and dietitian, we discuss the reasoning and history behind the anti-vaccination movement.  In the early days of immunization, distrust in vaccines was well-warranted. There was no official quarantine procedure for those who’d already been inoculated and 18^th Century doctors didn’t have quite the same standards as us when it came to sanitation and disease prevention. But as you can see, medical knowledge and standards have progressed greatly since those times and today’s vaccinations are a safe and effective tool in battling global health issues such as measles and rubella.

More than just a timeline of anti-vaccination movements, this infographic also includes useful information about vaccination itself, some of which might very well surprise you. For example: did you know that the first immunizations were administered in China in the 10^th Century BCE? Or that the famed French philosopher Voltaire argued strongly for immunizations?

Best Practice Guidance on How to Respond to Vocal Vaccine Deniers

 

Click here for a high res version.