A new poll suggests that 20 per cent of Ontario residents believe vaccines could cause autism.

And the Mainstreet Technologies poll released Friday found that another 19 per cent neither agree nor disagree with the statement.

A total of 15 per cent of people also disagreed that a drop in vaccination rates – fewer children getting vaccinated – would have serious health impacts for children.

“What’s concerning is 20 per cent of residents agree vaccines could cause autism, and that 15 per cent don’t believe lower immunizations rates will cause serious health problems,” said Mainstreet Technologies president Quito Maggi in a statement released with the poll results. “There are many children who cannot be immunized and who are depending on herd immunity for their well-being.”

“Herd immunity” refers the estimated percentage of people who must be vaccinated in a community to limit the chances of the disease spreading. The herd immunity rate for measles is 95 per cent.

The poll also found that 53 per cent of Ontarians believe schools should refuse unvaccinated children and 60 per cent believe childcare facilities should refuse unvaccinated children.

The survey comes as Toronto is experiencing a measles outbreak. There are five confirmed cases in the city – including two children under the age of 2 and one person who was vaccinated against the virus. One woman in the Niagara Region has also contracted measles.

Public health officials have not confirmed a link between the cases and believe there are more to come.

The misinformation on the vaccine-autism link can be sourced back to a now-discredited 1998 study by former surgeon Andrew Wakefield. The medical journal The Lancet published the research paper, but later retracted the study. Wakefield was subsequently stripped of his medical license, but the study has continued to be popularized by celebrities such as model and actress Jenny McCarthy.

Public health experts say his debunked study has done long-term harm to public health by spreading false information.

In Ontario, vaccination rates are around 95 per cent for 17-year-olds. However, at some Toronto schools, vaccination rates are well below the herd immunity target.

The poll surveyed 3,022 Ontarians and carries an overall margin of error of plus or minus 1.78 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Related: Find your Toronto school’s vaccine exemption rate

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