Vaccines cause autism: one-fifth of Ontarians

Despite a lack of evidence supporting the anti-vaccine movement, 20% of Ontarians believe that some vaccines can cause autism.

A new poll released Friday by Mainstreet Technologies also found that 15% of Ontarians disagree that a reduction in the vaccination of children would have serious health impacts.

Dr. Natasha Crowcroft, chief of infectious disease for Public Health Ontario, said she wasn’t surprised there are still supporters of the anti-vaccine movement.

“Parents are bombarded with so much misinformation each day. If anything, 20% sounds lower than what I’d expect. It’s really time to put that particular myth to bed for good. The [measles, mumps and rubella] vaccine does not cause autism,” she said in an email.

The anti-vaccine movement gained traction with television personality Jenny McCarthy, who publicly defended her stance that vaccines are linked to autism. Celebrities are not the only source of such opinions, however.

On Wednesday, officials at Queen’s University probed accusations that a health instructor is teaching antivaccination material. Lecture slides with YouTube links to anti-vaccine documentaries were circulated by current and former students.

“There are many children who cannot be immunized and who are depending on herd immunity for their wellbeing,” said Quito Maggi, president of Mainstreet Technologies in a statement.

Ontario Health Minister Eric Hoskins said Tuesday that herd immunity — meaning at least a 95% vaccination rate — would prevent the spread of such contagious diseases as measles, mumps and rubella.

The province doesn’t currently have a policy on mandatory vaccinations, but 58% of Ontarians feel parents shouldn’t have a say if children are vaccinated or not.

Ontario children must be vaccinated against measles to attend school, but parents can exempt their children if they fill out a form citing religious or conscious beliefs. Most Ontarians agreed (53%) that schools should refuse unvaccinated children, while 60% agreed that child-care facilities should refuse unvaccinated children.

The poll surveyed 3,022 Ontarians on Feb. 4 and carries an overall margin of error of 1.78%, 19 times out of 20.