Resistance to and misinformation about vaccines have been around for as long as vaccinations have existed. During the 1850s, the government passed a series of laws that made vaccination against smallpox compulsory for children. While some people supported vaccination, others thought it was unsafe or unnecessary and saw it as government interference. Some were suspicious of using material from cows to cure human disease. During the 1890s, the National Anti-Vaccination League organised protests and published anti-vaccine propaganda.

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