Anti-vaccine theories have been fomented by a host of high-profile liberals who have used their star power and media platforms to sell flawed science to their followers,
The Washington Free Beacon reports.
Certain media — ranging from Salon to Mother Jones and "The Daily Show" — have piled on to spin a false controversy, which has been embraced by liberal parents, especially those in California, wrote David Rutz in a column published Thursday.
Rutz added that Republicans pushing vaccine "choice," like Chris Christie and Rand Paul, have created their own "existential problem" for the GOP.
He cites a piece in
The Federalist by Mollie Hemingway, "3 Ways Media Hacks Are Dangerously Politicizing Vaccines," as evidence of the liberal spin, noting the weigh-in by the White House and such notables as Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
But, Hemingway added, the ongoing controversy isn't simply one for liberals.
A Pew poll released this week found that numbers have changed over the years for both political parties about vaccine use. Younger voters, those 18-29, believe most strongly that parents should have a choice on vaccinations, rather than making them mandatory, Mediaite reported.
"Clear majorities of Democrats and Republicans support mandatory vaccines but the numbers have shifted,"
Mediaite said of the trend. "Back in 2009, 71 percent of Democrats and 71 percent of Republicans saw eye-to-eye on this. Today, 76 percent of Democrats and 65 percent of Republicans agree.
"And if you're curious about independents, only 65 of them believe in mandatory vaccines, too."