Majority of UK public don’t believe vaccines cause autism

The majority of the UK public don’t believe that vaccines cause autism, according to a new survey.

Published by research freelancing platform Kolabtree, the survey was conducted in order to gain an accurate reflection of the UK’s attitudes towards myths surrounding vaccines.

Earlier this year, the UK lost its measles-free status, only three years after the virus was eliminated. Between April and June this year there were 301 new measles confirmed, rising from 231 in the first quarter of the year.

As part of the survey, participants were asked whether they believed vaccines cause autism. Results showed that out of 590 people, 65% believed vaccines don’t cause autism; 28% aren’t sure, and 6% believe they do.

Other findings from they survey indicated that more men than women believe that the dangers of vaccinations outweigh the benefits offered and that those aged between 35-44 are most likely to believe that vaccines cause autism. More so, out of all social media platforms included in the survey, Facebook featured more anti-vax material than others.

“Vaccines causing autism is a perfect example of how dangerous and misleading medical information can spread despite having no scientific foundation. At Kolabtree, we’re passionate about the accuracy of medical information online. With this study, we wanted to look at how swayed people were on this matter and whether online content, be it on websites or on social media, influenced their opinion.” explained Jonathan Hedger, marketing director at Kolabtree.