--- title: Millennials More Likely to Call Vaccines a Parent's Choice description: Recent data from the Pew Research Center shows that young people are most likely to say vaccines should be a parental choice instead of a requirement. canonical: https://time.com/3692402/young-people-vaccines/ author: Alexandra Sifferlin article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-02-02T18:16:47.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:59:59.464Z article:section: Health og:title: Millennials More Likely to Call Vaccines a Parent's Choice og:description: Recent data from the Pew Research Center shows that young people are most likely to say vaccines should be a parental choice instead of a requirement. og:url: https://time.com/3692402/young-people-vaccines/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltab6f70492924ac25/69877d2e06f2c13950333c40/138307605-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4494 og:image:height: 2528 og:image:alt: 138307605 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Millennials More Likely to Call Vaccines a Parent's Choice twitter:description: Recent data from the Pew Research Center shows that young people are most likely to say vaccines should be a parental choice instead of a requirement. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltab6f70492924ac25/69877d2e06f2c13950333c40/138307605-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 02:06 video:published: 2014-09-24 section: health topics: vaccines, autism, anti-vaccine misinformation, medical research, causation vs. association, study methodology, medical fraud, public health genre: explainer, fact-check, opinion tones: combative, authoritative, dismissive, urgent emotions: contempt (medium), concern (medium), confidence (high) sentiment: negative audience: general readers, health-conscious parents, science-interested viewers, policy observers people: Jeffrey Kulger, Andrew Wakefield organizations: TIME content_suitability: health controversy [00:00-01:49]; death [01:44-01:52] transcript_source: publisher captions transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # Millennials More Likely to Say Vaccines Are a Parent's Choice > Sponsored content. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's weekday health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free weekday newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=133f807e-ba1f-4dd0-9e6d-866549b5a0eb&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Science Cop: How Anti-Vaxxers Put Everyone at Risk [Watch (HLS stream): Science Cop: How Anti-Vaxxers Put Everyone at Risk](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/ai82XWJ8.m3u8) (2:06)  _Published 2014-09-24. TIME's Science Cop Jeffrey Kulger takes on the misinformation coming from opponents of childhood vaccinations_ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary TIME's Science Cop Jeffrey Kulger responds to anti-vaccine claims about a 2004 study that allegedly linked vaccines to autism in African American boys. He argues the study excluded subjects without birth certificates, that the critics confuse association with causation, and that a web video spreading the claims is narrated by Andrew Wakefield, whose 1998 paper was fraudulent and who lost his UK medical license. He concludes that vaccines are safe and effective while rumor-mongering can be deadly. ## Key points - The 2004 study excluded subjects who had no birth certificates, so data such as mother's age and race could not be confirmed. (00:17) - The study found a slightly higher rate of autism among some children vaccinated between 24 and 36 months of age. (00:48) - Kulger argues those children were likely already autistic and were vaccinated later as a requirement for special education programs. (00:56) - Kulger says critics confuse association with causation, using a military haircut analogy to illustrate the error. (01:05) - The narrator of the web video spreading the rumors is Andrew Wakefield, whose fraudulent 1998 paper falsely linked vaccines to autism. (01:16) - Wakefield has had his license to practice medicine revoked in the UK. (01:34) - Kulger concludes that vaccines are safe, effective and vitally important. (01:44) - Kulger states that rumor-mongering about vaccines can kill. (01:49) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 00:25] Introducing the anti-vaccine study claim. Kulger introduces a claim that a 2004 study withheld a link between vaccines and autism in African American boys. - [00:25 to 01:05] Flaws in the study and causation. Kulger explains missing birth certificate data and argues critics confuse association with causation, using a haircut analogy. - [01:05 to 01:34] Wakefield's discredited role. Kulger identifies Andrew Wakefield as the narrator of the video and recounts his fraudulent 1998 paper and revoked license. - [01:34 to 02:06] Conclusion on vaccine safety. Kulger concludes vaccines are safe and effective and warns that rumor-mongering can kill. ## Key quotes - [00:12] Jeffrey Kulger: "But again and always, they're wrong." - [00:48] Jeffrey Kulger: "the people criticizing the research make the familiar mistake of confusing associated with causation." - [01:44] Jeffrey Kulger: "vaccines are safe, effective and vitally important." - [01:49] Jeffrey Kulger: "Rumor mongering, on the other hand, can kill." ## Questions this video answers - What flaw does Kulger identify in the 2004 study's data collection? [00:17] - Why does Kulger say the higher autism rate among vaccinated children does not show vaccines cause autism? [00:48] - Who narrates the web video spreading claims about the study? [01:16] - What happened to Andrew Wakefield's medical license? [01:34] - What does Kulger conclude about vaccine safety? [01:44] ## Content suitability - health controversy [00:00-01:49]: Discusses vaccine safety claims, autism and disputed medical research. - death [01:44-01:52]: Closing statement that rumor-mongering can kill. by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Feb 2, 2015 6:16 PM UTC  Doctor giving Caucasian baby injection Doctor giving Caucasian baby injection Getty Images by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Feb 2, 2015 6:16 PM UTC Most Americans agree that vaccines are a really good thing for public health, but a new poll shows that people aged between 18 and 29 are most likely to say vaccines should be a parental choice instead of a requirement. According to a recent survey by the [Pew Research Center](http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/01/29/chapter-3-attitudes-and-beliefs-on-science-and-technology-topics/#vaccines-and-access-to-experimental-treatments-18-point-gap), 68% of American adults across all age groups believe vaccines should be mandatory and 30% say it should be up to parents to decide. But young adults are the most likely to agree with the latter statement, with about 41% of people age 18 to 29 saying parents should be the ones to decide whether or not to vaccinate their child. Among adults age 65 and older, only 20% feel this way. Pew says one reason older adults are far likelier to be in support of mandatory vaccinations is that they remember what it was like when some of these infectious diseases, like the measles, were prevalent. Measles was considered eliminated in the United States in 2000, thanks to high rates of immunizations. Health officials say the recent outbreak of measles in the U.S.—which has [infected 102 people](http://time.com/3692276/measles-numbers-cdc/)—is spreading due to parents who choose not to vaccinate their kids. **MORE:** [Feds Say Measles Outbreak Tops 100 Cases](http://time.com/3692276/measles-numbers-cdc/) While the public may be slightly more split on the issue—though the large majority support vaccines—physicians are not so split. A [separate poll](http://time.com/3692152/measles-doctors-poll-parent-vaccination/) released on Monday by the physician social network community SERMO showed 92% of physicians say the current measles outbreak is directly attributable to parents not vaccinating their kids, and 72% believe unvaccinated kids should not be allowed in public schools. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported 102 cases in the month of January. To put that into perspective, that’s about the number of cases the U.S. experiences in a typical year. In 2014, the U.S. had its highest number of reported cases of measles at 600. ## Transcript [00:00] So, our recent report claimed that a 2004 study [00:04] withheld a link between vaccines and autism in African [00:08] American boys. No surprise, the anti- vaccine [00:12] crowd considered this a big win. But again and always, [00:17] they're wrong. Here's why. [ MUSIC ] First, [00:25] the subjects excluded from the study had no birth [00:28] certificates available. Meaning data on their mother's [00:31] age, race and more could not be confirmed. And that [00:35] information was vital for the work the investigators [00:38] were doing, More important, the people criticizing the [00:42] research make the familiar mistake of confusing [00:45] associated with causation. While it's true that the study [00:48] did find a slightly higher rate of autism among some [00:52] kids vaccinated between 24 and 36 months of age, it's [00:56] almost certain that those children were already autistic [00:59] and were vaccinated later as part of a basic health [01:02] requirement for attending special education program [01:05] [ MUSIC ] programs. If you join the Army and get a [01:08] mandatory crewcut before basic training, you don't [01:12] then conclude that military service causes baldness. [01:16] Finally, the narrator of a disgraceful web video [01:20] spreading the rumors about the study is Andrew [01:22] Wakefield. The British researcher whose fraudulent [01:26] 1998 paper falsely linking vaccines to autism [01:30] got the entire got the entire anti- vaccine mess started. [01:34] Wakefield has had his license to practice medicine [01:37] revoked in the UK. And is hardly in a position to be [01:40] offering opinions on anything at all. So for the billionth [01:44] time, vaccines are safe, effective and vitally [01:49] important. Rumor mongering, on the other hand, can [01:52] kill. 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