According to Merriam-Webster's online dictionary, the definition for the popular abbreviation of "anti-vaccine" not only describes "a person who opposes the use of vaccines" but also anyone who does not comply with "regulations mandating vaccination."
"He said, while he will not get the COVID-19 vaccine, he is not an 'anti-vaxxer' against all vaccinations," one of the examples listed in the online definition stated.
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Another instance claims that "some self-identified anti-vaxxers are vehemently against all vaccines" while "some are skeptical of specific vaccines."
The term, the dictionary site read, particularly applies to "a parent who opposes having his or her child vaccinated."
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Previous versions of the "anti-vaxxer" webpage suggest that the word used to be defined as "a person who opposes vaccination or laws that mandate vaccination." (emphasis added). It wasn't until sometime on Oct. 4, the same day that U.S. officials outlined specific instructions for all federal employees to comply with President Joe Biden's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for government workers, that Merriam-Webster replaced the word "laws" with "regulations."
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"Redefine words all you want Merriam Webster, but WORDS STILL HAVE MEANING. By this definition, you aren’t pro-vaccine unless you believe the government should force everyone to get a medical procedure?" Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’s press secretary, Christina Pushaw, tweeted Wednesday morning.
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Fox News examined Merriam-Webster’s current definition of "anti-vaxxer" compared to its definition from 2018, and found it omitted the word "laws" in favor of "regulations." However, the description still asserts that an "anti-vaxxer" includes people who oppose such rules on vaccinations or the vaccines themselves.
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"A person who is opposed to vaccination, typically a parent who does not wish to vaccinate their child," the New Oxford American dictionary states.
The smooth switch also comes following Biden's basically unenforceable and hypothetical vaccine mandate for private businesses that hire 100 or more employees. As The Federalist's Joy Pullmann noted:
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"The White House, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the Department of Labor haven't released any official guidance for the alleged mandate. There is no executive order. There's nothing but press statements. Despite what you may have been falsely led to believe by the media fantasy projection machine, press statements have exactly zero legal authority."
After the definition was slammed over the summer, critics have taken to Twitter to condemn the definition again following its update last month.
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