The anti-vax movement has done a lot to derail one of the greatest achievements of modern medicine: vaccinations. Measles, a potentially lethal disease that is easily prevented with the MMR vaccine, has seen a global resurgence this year, with 1,261 cases reported in the US alone. In 2016, that figure was just 86.
Parents opting not to vaccinate their children is a key cause of the virus’ comeback, and one way they have been targeted is through Facebook ads. A new study, published in the journal Vaccine, has found that more than half of anti-vax ads on Facebook come from just two funders: the World Mercury Project (WMP), chaired by Robert F Kennedy Jr., and Stop Mandatory Vaccination (SMV), headed by Larry Cook.